Street Fighter 2
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XBLA size limit no longer a problem for SF2HD
What a difference a few weeks make. Back in January, designer Dave Sirlin was complaining about how Microsoft's 150MB size limit for XBLA games was making it hard to squeeze everything Capcom wanted into Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Now, it turns out, it's not such a problem after all.In a blog post today, Producer Ray Jiminez officially confirmed "the filesize will not be an issue" because of some "great help from the guys at Microsoft." It's not quite clear whether the size limit was waived or whether Microsoft just helped squeeze those files in there, but regardless, Jiminez promises the gameplay experience will be identical in both the Xbox and PS3 versions of the game.The full post also has way more details than you could possibly want about the vagaries of hand-drawn HD art. Check it out if you're into that sort of thing.
XBLA size limit causing difficulties for Street Fighter HD
Oh, Microsoft. When will you learn that downloadable games are sometimes going to want to be bigger than a memory unit. First, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night bumped up against the then-50MB limit for XBLA games, leading to a ceiling raise. Then promising platformer Eternity's Child got chased to the Wii when it ran up against the new 150MB limit. Now, anticipated HD remake of Street Fighter II is apparently having trouble squeezing all its high-res graphics and remixed music into the imposed size limit.Speaking to VideoGamer.com, director David Sirlin said that it was "difficult to store so many 1080p graphics in such a small download size." According to Sirlin, the 150MB limit "also makes it difficult or impossible to include all the original game's music AND [an] all remixed set of music."Xbox-owning fighting fans shouldn't lose hope, though -- Sirlin says his team is "still doing our best to fit within the limit we've been given." Still, we have to wonder why they should have to go through the aggravation at all. To satisfy the three hardcore fighting fans that own a 360 but not a hard drive? Don't punish the many for the questionable purchasing decisions of the few, Microsoft.
Today's most geriatric video: 'Yoga noogie!'
The webisode series Street Fighter: The Later Years has been going on for quite some time, but the latest entry proves that the show's creators still have a knack for Street Fighter parody.Whether it's Dhalsim's unorthodox fighting methods, a poorly-aged Ken failing to perform his hidden fireball move, or Chun Li and Blanka caught in a... compromising position, The Later Years still makes us laugh, even if we'll all be geezers by the time the series reaches its eventual conclusion.Check out episode six after the break.
Game designer talks rebalancing Street Fighter 2 HD
David Sirlin knows fighting games. So when Capcom tapped him to re-balance Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and make it better than the original, they were putting the game's untarnished reputation into just the right hands. Sirlin proves his worth in the first of a series of articles on rebalancing Super Turbo HD, revealing new details about the latest Street Fighter II sequel while discussing important decisions made to improve upon the game. Through it all, Sirlin emphasizes the need to retain and improve upon both the feel and the tournament-worthy status of what he considers to be the best in the series.In short, Sirlin discusses how he aims to make the game more approachable to a larger audience, while rebalancing each fighter to ensure that the title is perfected for tournament play. Purists need not worry: the HD remix will allow gamers to choose to play an unaltered, arcade-perfect version of the original Super Street Fighter II Turbo, which uses the enhanced graphics and sounds but includes none of the rebalancing. The article's a good read for aspiring game designers, Street Fighter fanatics, or just fans of fighting games in general.[Via GameSetWatch]
F-Zero X, Street Fighter II Turbo rush onto Virtual Console
Today's Virtual Console releases, scheduled to go live at 9AM PST, are all about pushing the pedal to the metal in our quest to satisfy the need for speed and finally outrun the terrible writing clichés and racing game references pursuing us. Europe's 100th Virtual Console game, F-Zero X, has you hurtling about futuristic tracks at absurd speeds, Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting has you hurting Chun Li even quicker than before and China Warrior has... uh... released much faster than we expected! Yeah, let's go with that. F-Zero X (N64, 1-4 players, 1000 Wii Points): The N64's hover-car racer pushed the series forward in the best way that was possible at the time -- it added a prominent "X" to the title. It wasn't until later that we learned that adding a "GX" was the ultimate masterstroke. Street Fighter II Turbo Edition: Hyper Fighting (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): With mention of both the words "Turbo" and "Hyper" in the title, it becomes clear that this game is indeed a bit faster than The World Warriors. Enjoy it before those fancy HD characters start punching your eyeballs. China Warrior (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): A side-scrolling action game depicting either gaming's most fragile hero ever, or just some tough guy in China.
Today's best sfx video: Street Fighter 2 Dancer vs. Baby
This video illustrates how a good sound effects editor can really take something cringe-inducing and make it hilarious. Perfect integration of the sfx plus great timing on the slow motion really make this a gem. And before you think we're all cruel and heartless, we definitely hope that baby is just fine. Please, no one mention this at all to Jack Thompson.
Capcom Rumor Round-Up: SFII on PS3, Dead Rising 2 on 360
As the prettiest girl at the gossip ball, Capcom has been making quite a few headlines recently for actions they may or may not be considering. In light of the particularly bogus rumors floating concerning Microsoft buying out Capcom, lets take a look at some of the more substantiated rumors involving your favorite Mega Man sweatshop. For your consideration, three rumors from the February issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (#112). For those who still believe in the aforementioned rumor, you may as well tear down those tin foil barriers around your room as Capcom "looks to be making several interesting games for the PS3's (network) service." The two titles mentioned being a remake of Street Fighter II with brand new sprites and an "updated NES classic."
More XBLA lovin', Time Pilot, Lumines!
For those of you who missed it on Joystiq, the Official Xbox Magazine (UK) revealed the next batch of games for Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays. The list reads thusly: Aug. 16: Texas Hold 'em Aug. 23: Time Pilot Aug. 30: Scramble Sept 6: Lumines Live! Hmm...two (arguably) obscure retro arcade titles sandwiched by Texas Hold 'em and Lumines Live! Not bad at all. While few will doubt the appeal of card games or the wonderfully addictive Lumines, one must wonder how well Time Pilot and Scramble will do. Any fans of these retro classics out there?Bonus points for anyone that can point out the connection between Konami's Time Pilot and Capcom's XBLA smash hit, Street Fighter II.[Via Joystiq]
SFII is the fastest sellng XBLA game ever
Timeout problems, E. Honda spammers, impossible d-pads, lag, all of these things combined could do nothing to stop the momentum of the Live Arcade juggernaut known as Street Fighter II. Within the first 24 hours of its release, SFII became the fastest selling Arcade title ever. Behold:"Capcom® today [Aug 4th] announced that Street Fighter® II' Hyper Fighting, the company's first title for Xbox Live® Arcade for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, has seen a phenomenal record of downloads since it's debut on August 2. Within the first 24 hours of it's unveiling, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting has become the fastest selling Xbox Live Arcade title to date with hundreds of matches being played every hour."Great news for Capcom sure, but it also means that we can pretty much kiss five dollar XBLA games goodbye. 360 Fanboy would love to complain, but then we'd have to stop playing. (And by the way, since you've all gotten your Street Fighter fix, give Cloning Clyde a try.)
SF2: 24 hour love affair
So you've spent a day kicking Chun-Li's ass, or at least trying to. Is Street Fighter 2's retro Live play all that you dreamed it would be? Anybody make the top of the leaderboard, however briefly?
Sunday at X360F: arcade madness results
The results from last Sunday's poll are in and it was a major upset to say the least. In a come-from-behind victory that nobody was expecting even in their wildest of wild dreams, Street Fighter II -- the plucky underdog that nobody believed in -- has come out on top with an astonishing 32% of the poll totalling 763 votes. Now, with the sarcastic statement of the obvious out of the way, let's look at the results. It seems SFII has a monopoly on gamer nostalgia, as the other retro classics, Galaga, Pac-Man, and Frogger gather a paltry 11% of the vote with 242 votes combined. It should be noted that Galaga seems to be the favored retro hit outside of SFII, though. By far the most interesing aspect of this poll is the performance of Lumines Live, Small Arms, and Texas Hold 'em, with a combined 47% of the vote. This is evidence that the real strength of Live Arcade is its ability to bring us original content (just as Cloning Clyde project lead, John Nielson told us earlier this week). No doubt had titles like Castle Crashers and RoboBlitz been on the poll, they would have shown a strong performance as well. So, to wrap up, Capcom is the king of selling us our youth, and people want to see more games that you can't get anywhere else. Here's to the 360 for making Wednesdays a little brighter. Cheers.
Sunday at X360F Poll: Arcade Madness [update 1]
No matter where you look, the big news this week was definitely Xbox Live Arcade. Every Wednesday for the next month we'll have a new Xbox Live Arcade game to download. So, of course, the big question now is which company will make the most money which game will be the most popular? Below is a list of some of the upcoming games. Which one are you anticipating the most? If you choose other, please, let us know your choice in the comments -- even if it hasn't been announced, tell us what games you want to see on Live Arcade. Will SFII hadoken the competition? Will Pac-Man wakka wakka his way to the top? Vote for your favorite and tell us why. We'll discuss the results next week. Which XBLA game do you want most? Frogger Cloning Clyde Galaga Street Fighter II Pac-Man Texas Hold 'em Small Arms Lumines Live Other More micropayments? No, thanks. Free polls from Pollhost.com Basic poll stuff: You could spam the poll, thus destroying its democratic brilliance, but that would make you a total jerkball. Don't be a jerkball. It's bad for democracy. Update 1: Oops, Lumines Live has now been added to the poll. The votes have also been reset. My apologies for any emotional distress this may have caused. You should be able to vote again no problem.
Street Fighter 2: Mega Ultra $10 edition
I know everyone is excited that Frogger is coming to XBLA today, but let's get this boring Street Fighter II news out of the way first. Street Fighter II -- the one Live Arcade game that nobody is anticipating at all -- will be sold for 800 MS Points, or 10 American dollars. Okay, there. I'm sorry. Here's the real news: Frogger will be sold for a paltry 400 points ($5). Heck, just take a look at the whole list: July 12 - Frogger, 400 points ($5) July 19 - Cloning Clyde, 800 points ($10) July 26 - Galaga, 400 points ($5) August 2 - Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, 800 points ($10) August 9 - Pac-Man, 400 points ($5) That's 5 games for $35! Also, the Live Arcade team indicated that Wednesday will become the defacto release day for most Arcade titles. As Joystiq points out, this list may indicate that older games will see a lower price point than their newer cousins with fancy features like "blast processing" and "more than one button." [Via Joystiq]
Bjork vs. Reporter. Round One. Fight!
Remember when Björk went all Chun-Li on that reporter? If not, we'll refresh your memory. In 1996, upon arriving at the Bangkok International Airport after finishing her Asian tour, and due to some perceived transgression, Björk grabbed reporter Julie Kaufman by the hair and proceeded to give her what for. Out of such misery comes ... a Street Fighter II spoof. See Björk reprise her role in the video, embedded after the break.See also:Street Fighter 2 skit; no fireballs!Ryu vs. Scorpion flash movie...wow[Via Waxy]
CES: Street Fighter 2 coming to Live Arcade by March
In Peter Moore's CES speech last night, where he unveiled the external HD DVD attachment, he also mentioned that "more than 20 games will be available through Xbox Live Arcade" by March, including games like Texas Hold 'Em, Marble Blast Ultra, and the seminal Street Fighter 2! While Nintendo will be bringing its extensive (and surely lucrative) back-catalog to the Revolution, Microsoft appears to be intent on releasing arcade classics that have the same attraction (and nostalgia factor) for many of us. Add a couple more classics like TMNT and X-Men, as well as new games like Geometry Wars and you have yourself a pretty attractive package.
