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VC Monday Madness: Secret of Mana and Street Fighter II Champion Edition
What a week for the Virtual Console, eh? We've got some classic 2D rumblin' and one of the greatest games ever made. Can you guess how I feel about Secret of Mana yet? Well, if you're looking for a clue, hit up the video above, then cruise past the break for more on this week's Virtual Console releases.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will arrive this year, says Capcom producer
PS3 fans haven't heard any news in regards to Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix in a long, long time. Xbox 360 owners had a chance to participate in the beta, but it was plagued with problems that were never fixed, if that makes you feel any better. The lack of news has lead some to conclude the game has been delayed; but fear not, in an interview with The Street Fighter Blog, associate producer Rey Jimenez reveals the game is on track for a 2008 release. "We're on track to release the game this year and barring any unforeseen catastrophic event, that should not be changing." He also told SF fans to expect an announcement of the exact release date shortly.Other elements covered in the interview range from the possibility extra characters via DLC (not happening) to whether the fighters will have their original colors selectable (yes, they will be). The entire interview can be read here.[Via Capcom Digital]
VC Tuesday: Rock!
The Japanese release of Rockman (also known as Mega Man) on the Virtual Console is great for two reasons. First, obviously, is the fact that Rockman is a great game, if a bit ... super hard (even harder than most other Rockman games, and even with only six Robot Masters).Second is that it marks the passage of time nicely: one Mega Man game on the way to 9. First this, then 2, then 9!We don't know the first thing about Blood Gear, but it also looks pretty cool! Also, we can't even believe it, but EGGY came out! Rockman (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Street Fighter II' Plus Champion Edition (Mega Drive, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) Blood Gear (PC Engine, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) EGGY (MSX, 1 player, 700 Wii Points)
Super Street Fighter II XBLA beta begins today
Just in case you've completely forgotten why you really bought Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 on Xbox Live Arcade in the first place, allow us to jog your memory: the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta begins today. To access the beta, owners of Commando 3 should select the "SFII HD Remix Beta" option from the game's main menu, which will take them to a blade where they confirm the download. The SSFIITHDR beta will reside in the demo section of the games blade.The beta will give players the option of using only Ken or Ryu in various online modes or in local two-player matches. Remember, this is a beta, so the actual purpose of it is to stress-test the network code for the multiplayer modes of the game. The beta will run until around August 20 or whenever Capcom decides to pull the plug. Don't worry, you'll probably get bored of Ken and Ryu by then.
The VC Advantage: Street Spoiler II
With all the hoo-ha over the new Super Smash Bros. Brawl spoilers (warning: spoiler link contains spoilers) I got nostalgic about classic fighting game spoilers. You know, as happens in this little corner of the website. I love fighting game spoilers. I love spoilers in general, preferring the buildup of anticipation to a "surprise" to the actual feeling of surprise, but fighting game spoilers are especially delightful, for the simple reason that nothing in a fighting game's storyline matters. Also, fighting game storylines are usually incredibly hilarious, whether this is intentional or not.Street Fighter II is the canonical fighting game, and appropriately has the best goofy ending animations in the genre. If you haven't played this seventeen-year-old game, you should be warned: the above YouTube link contains spoilers that will blow the whole game wide open. If you are sensitive about such things, you should go through the game yourself to learn the motivations that drew eight people to fly around the world and punch each other in one-minute intervals. But if you live in 2008 and have already finished Street Fighter II, then revel in some ending videos with us! Now it's time to celebrate in our appropriate fashion.
The VC Advantage: Down, R, Up, L, Y, B
The internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage. Immediately following the release of Street Fighter II for the SNES, my dad was out delivering mail when he saw a blurb on some game magazine's cover about a secret SF2 code. He cracked open the magazine (which was either on a magazine stand in a store he delivered to, or was part of a delivery to a residence -- either way, he didn't buy it and it was slightly rogue of him) and transcribed the code. When he got back to the post office after his route, he called me (which happened quite rarely from work) to tell me of his discovery. Expecting to unlock some aspect of Champion Edition, I found that "DRULYB" unlocked the ability to play as the same character in two-player games. Surprisingly, I didn't mind not being able to play as M. Bison.
T. Hawk gets HD Remix'd, plus more remastering info
Just so you fanboys know, that shot of T. Hawk is full resolution, from Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, of course. Capcom Digital posted that image, complete with an analysis of how they remaster frames to incorporate the new artwork. They use Sagat's standing Roundhouse as an example. Rey then demonstrated how the art is broken up into tiles, and they use those as a guide for when they're redrawing the frame. This prevents a scenario causing a foot to go through an opponent's head due to a hit detection issues. A good read, and it also shows the comparison shot of T. Hawk, as well as the line art for Sagat. Go take a look!
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.
Guile goes HD in the latest SFII HD screenshots
Capcom has released another batch of images from the upcoming SFII HD remake and this time they're featuring hair-enthusiast Guile. Like the other images these ones look absolutely fantastic; it's really going to be incredible to see them in motion and with the backgrounds. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (also known as SSFIITHDR) will be available later this year for download from the PlayStation store. Until then, check out the gallery below!%Gallery-4073%
New SFII HD Remix sprite revealed, it's Ken!
The image you see above, ladies and gents, is a sprite from the upcoming Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix for Xbox Live Arcade. In fact, it's actually a little smaller than it should be thanks to our formatting. Now, we've seen a sprite from (deep breath) SFIITHDR before, but this is the first official image released by Capcom. As Capcom's Brian Dunn puts it, "this is what it will look like (if you paused the game and took out the background)." Damn. If you like what you see, then you're in luck, as Capcom will soon be opening a blog that will feature new art, news, and other goodies about their upcoming downloadable games. For those of you that have forgotten, those games include SFIITHDR and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (easily abbreviated SPFIITHDR), Rocketman: Axis of Evil (RAoE) and Talisman (T).If Capcom's other downloadable games are going to look this good, you can count us excited.[Thanks, Jared]
Capcom brings Super Street Fighter II and more to PSN
At Capcom Gamer's Day, Capcom revealed three new downloadable titles for the PlayStation Network. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a remake of a remake of a remake of a remake of the classic 16-bit fighting game. The entire game is being redrawn, from the character select, all the way through to backgrounds and endings, most likely to take advantage of your shiny HDTV.Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is a intensely action-oriented approach on the constructible strategy game of the same name. Like Cash Guns Chaos, the game will have players blasting enemies in a colorful, cel-shaded world. For images of the game, check out the gallery at Joystiq.Talisman is based off yet another strategy game, but unlike Rocketmen, it'll stay true to its original gameplay. This downloadable title will be a digital recreation of the game, and will be playable offline and on.Finally, Puzzle Fighter II HD will also be making an appearance on the Network. This lovable puzzle game will also get a glorious high-definition makeover. See a video of the game, after the cut.
VC Friday: Fightin' in the streets
If you were looking for a break from shooters, then you'll be interested in this week's big new Virtual Console release. The availability of Street Fighter II almost makes up for the low number of titles released so far this month.Available today on the Virtual Console in Europe: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES) -- 800 points Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (SNES) -- 800 points Either of these have you reaching for the credit card?
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."
Street Fighters mop and drive taxis, in the later years
CollegeHumor is hosting a short film, with surprisingly high production values, detailing the whereabouts of two of Street Fighter II's eight World Warriors: Zangief and Dhalsim. We wonder if their sorry state is proportional to their lasting popularity in the game; like ancient gods who thrive on belief, do these has-been street fighters have a need for success? We can't imagine pretty boys like Ken or Ryu mopping floors or driving a cab ... maybe E. Honda.Part one (of what appears to be an ongoing series) is embedded after the break. We'll keep our eyes peeled for future installments.[Via GayGamer.net]
SFII is lame, Fatal Fury hits Live Arcade
New technology seems to have rekindled old rivalries. No doubt burned by the success of Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live Arcade, SNK is bringing Fatal Fury Special to the service as well. It's like arcades in the 1990s all over again. Who will win, Capcom or SNK? Maybe someday they'll put SNK characters and Capcom characters in the same game. That would be kuh-razy. Expect more information during the Tokyo Game Show next month. In the meantime, rest assured that there's one thing Street Fighter will never have, and that's Mai.[Thanks, Lorul2]
The arcade stick of your (expensive) dreams [update 1]
Do you love Street Fighter II? Tired of getting owned by noobs because of crappy D-pads? Are you also rich? Well, then we have the arcade stick for you! Brought to you by GoPodular, these massive beasts were ripped straight from the arcade cabinets of yore. Made from the same sturdy materials, GoPodular promises an unparalleled gaming experience. Even better, the sticks support almost any available system, including the 360. So, anything this good will have a catch, of course. These suckers weigh in at US $225 before you plunk down another $75 for the 360 adapter cart. Ouch Town, population you, buddy. Unless you have a serious jones for true fighting game control, we suggest you wait for the cheaper -- and more well-known -- X-Arcade stick to come out with a 360 adapter (presumably coming soon). Then again, we'd love to be proven wrong. Your move, GoPodular.[Update: The GoPodular guys cleared up some confusion in the comments. The standard PC cart can be switched with the 360 cart, thus making the actual cost $245. Still pretty steep, but much better overall. Also check out the comments for some clarification on the differences between X-Arcade and GoPodular.]
Mad Catz goes retro with Xbox Live Arcade Stick [update 2]
Peripheral manufacturer capitalizing on gaping market hole news now, as an EB Games listing reveals a Mad Catz product that's sure to raise more thumbs than eyebrows: a retro arcade stick for the Xbox 360. The sole available image reveals the face buttons, guide button and right analog stick to have been retained in the design, though the fate of the triggers is somewhat less clear. It's likely safe to assume that they're cowering somewhere behind the mighty joystick. Another safe assumption one can make is that the Arcade Stick will make a far more adequate (and authentic) tool for guiding our pellet-munching Pac-men through mazes and our amphibious allies across deadly divides. Then again, strapping a rabid badger to you lap and randomly shoving your fingers into its mouth is already a few steps up from playing XBLA games with the 360 controller's squeaky directional pad. The current retail listing has the Mad Catz stick releasing on the first day of October for an anti-retro, better-be-wireless $69.99 $49.99. We've contacted Mad Catz for further details (and a larger picture!). [Thanks Master X 24.][Update: We suspected EB Games might yank the page, so we made sure to save a copy. The post now links to a screenshot of the original page.][Update: It's been indicated that the price is actually $49.99 and that several Live Arcade titles will be included the stick. More details here.]
360 D-pad sucking? Use a Saturn gamepad
The honeymoon's over. We were in love. Our shotgun wedding with the Xbox 360 gamepad and subsequent months of marital bliss have come crashing down. We've had our first fight ... err, 2D fighting game that is.Anyone who's been playing the recently released Street Fighter II on XBLA has undoubtedly noticed the Xbox 360's D-pad seriously cramps your combos. Fear not DIY-friendly gamers, there is a solution: Don't use the Xbox 360 gamepad. Remember the Sega Saturn, geared for 2D in a world of 3D consoles? The good news is the Saturn's gamepad has a well respected D-pad and, with some soldering skills, you can start rocking it on Xbox Live. Here's how it works: Saturn controller gets plugged into a breadboard connected to a gutted Xbox 360 controller, so the whole thing is wireless (sort of). Fine, so this isn't the most attractive hack, but it illustrates a demand for an alternative gamepad. How long before some enterprising peripheral company makes a wireless Xbox Live Arcade pad?[Via b&b&p&s]
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.)
