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Atlus details Persona 4 Arena arcade update, teases next Persona team project
Atlus announced new details regarding Arc System Works' upcoming Persona 4 Arena sequel, revealing a new character and teasing the Persona team's next project. P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold, as it's known in Japan, is currently slated for release exclusively in arcades. Though Persona 4 Arena saw release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a console port for Ultra Suplex Hold has not yet been announced. Announced back in August, Ultimate Suplex Hold expands Persona 4 Arena's roster with three new characters. Persona 3 stars Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori join Arena's playable cast alongside Sho Minazuki, a mysterious addition who does not hail from a previous Persona series game. Ultimate Suplex Hold also introduces a number of gameplay tweaks, including the special move-enhancing "S Hold System." Atlus additionally hints at a new Persona-related project at p-ch.jp, a teaser site featuring Persona series developer P Studio's logo alongside a date in November and a list of cities in Japan. Further details will be revealed on November 24.
Arc System Works draws Swords & Darkness on 3DS eShop in Japan
Fighting game-savvy developer Arc System Works is trying something new with Swords & Darkness on the 3DS eShop in Japan this winter, the publisher announced at TGS 2013. Swords & Darkness is a side-scrolling action RPG with an art style that would look right at home among the original PlayStation's lineup. The trailer shows a helmless knight slicing up enemies, blocking attacks with a shield and getting in a few extra stabs on stunned enemies lying on the ground. It also offers a glimpse at limited-use supplies assigned to the 3DS' face buttons, like daggers and healing herbs. Siliconera reports that the players will be able to level up, learn special moves and swap out equipped gear and magic. Swords & Darkness is currently only planned to fight its valiant quest in Japan.
Persona 4 Arena arcade-only update adds new fighters, moves, system changes
The Japan-only arcade version of Persona 4 Arena (known as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena) is being updated with two new characters, significantly updated gameplay mechanics and new abilities for the existing fighters. Currently, there is no plan for any of these changes to come to the console versions, either here or in Japan: "It's an arcade-only update," Atlus' John Hardin told us. "No plans to bring it to the U.S. at this time." Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori of Persona 3 fame return as new combatants, bringing the game's overall roster up to 15 selectable Persona users. The update also adds a new "Shadow Type" system, according to Shoryuken's translation of Famitsu's hands-on report. This gives players the option of replacing the game's "One More Burst" mechanic with an alternate Shadow form, which grants temporarily unlimited special meter and augmented/enhanced attack properties. Additionally, Shadow Type characters bring their special meters with them to the next round, whereas historically special meter resets at the beginning of each fight. An "S Hold System" is also being added, which allows players to charge up certain special attacks to achieve augmented effects, such as invulnerability. It will also now be possible to cancel normal moves into hops, which will add more utility for combo crafting. Furthermore, the game's existing cast is being outfitted with new moves and abilities, an ongoing list of which can be found here. Location testing is underway at Taito Hey in Akihabara and Taito Station Nipponbashi in Osaka, from now through this Sunday. We're keeping our ear to the ground for further information about when this update will be released, and whether it'll garner it's own name, ala Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, or Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.
Potemkin, May, Venom and Chipp return in Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-
More characters have been revealed for Arc System Works' highly anticipated Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, and like the swallows returning to Capistrano, so too have series veterans May, Venom, Chipp Zanuff and Potemkin returned to the roster. This brings the game's list of fighters up to seven confirmed combatants, as Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske and Millia Rage have already been announced. We recognize that Guilty Gear's characters are not as ubiquitous as some other fighting game faces, so we'll break it down SAT style: If Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske are to Guilty Gear as Ryu and Ken are to Street Fighter, then this latest reveal is essentially like finding out that Cammy, Chun-Li, M. Bison and Dhalsim are returning – exciting, if not entirely surprisingly. Everyone's trademark abilities appear intact based on Shoryuken's ongoing translation of each character's move list, so expect plenty of Potemkin Buster-ing in your future. Arc System Works is set to begin location testing for the arcade version of Xrd -SIGN- in Akihabara sometime this month, though beyond that no release window or platform availability information has been made available.
BlazBlue Alter Memory transplants the game into anime
Finally, the complex and compelling story of BlazBlue is getting the anime treatment with BlazBlue Alter Memory. According to Anime News Network, the story centers on Ragna the Bloodedge – you might know him as "humongous sword guy" – and the ragtag gang of pugilists determined to collect the bounty on his head. Somehow, a fox lady, a little vampire girl and a weird, anthropomorphic cat person figure in there as well. BlazBlue Alter Memory is set to launch this fall.
Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN announced at Arc System Works festival
Arc System Works announced Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN at its 25th anniversary festival in Yokohama, Japan today. While there are no details yet on what platforms the arcade fighter will appear on, the developer uploaded an introductory trailer to its YouTube channel. The trailer features a battle between series mainstays Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske. Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN will, once again, be directed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, who also composed the song heard in the trailer. The video shows that the game will run on the Unreal engine and won't use sprites, a first for the developer. Additionally, while the character shown at the end seems to be Milla Rage, the character briefly reflected in her eyes appears to be Eddie/Zato-1. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
PSA: No online play for Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R on Vita
Reaching out and punching someone through the internet isn't an option in the PlayStation Vita version of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, despite conflicting assertions by an official trailer that has since been pulled.Developer Arc System Works apologized for the misunderstanding on its official North American Twitter account, saying that "contrary to what's on the trailer," Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R is only equipped with local multiplayer options. No explanation was given for why this feature has been omitted, considering that the PlayStation 3 version features online play, though a brief explanation was given for the erroneous trailer: "We'll chalk this one up to the language barrier."
Persona 4 Arena limited edition strikes victory pose in Europe
Persona 4 Arena will finally launch in Europe on May 10, and today a limited edition has been revealed, available exclusively through the Zen Store. £59.99 will reserve a limited edition bundle, which includes a tote bag, jigsaw puzzle, soundtrack, badge set, digital artwork, key ring and a copy of the game.It's been a difficult trek to Europe for Persona 4 Arena, which was originally slated to launch on the continent last August, only to be pushed back out of 2012 entirely. Importing was out of the question for some Europeans, thanks to the decision to region-lock the PS3 version. All Persona 4 Arena pre-orders will net the same soundtrack and "digital fan" artwork included in the limited edition set.
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R brings verbose battles to Vita April 23
The PlayStation Vita version of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, which itself is the portable version of the arcade version of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, will hit the PlayStation Network in North America on Tuesday, April 23. We know because a picture of a shoe announced it via Arc System Work's official Twitter account.While official pricing has yet to be announced, it may be in line with the PlayStation 3 version's $14.99 price tag. Maybe that information is on the other shoe?
BlazBlue producer wants to bring a new fighting series to PS4
Arc System Works has designs on bringing a new fighting game series to the PlayStation 4, according to Shoryuken's translation of Dengeki's interview with BlazBlue series producer Toshimichi Mori."We can't give you a definite title yet, but we want to make one," Mori said. "We actually made Guilty Gear targeting the Dreamcast, and we started creating BlazBlue around the time of the PS3 release, so we want to make a game for PS4 when the system releases. Creating new things at the turning point of time is who Arc System Works is, so we would like to take it on."If we may be so bold, Arc System Works, might we suggest a 2D fighting game based on the works of Hayao Miyazaki? Kiki vs. Yubaba, Princess Mononoke vs. Nausicaä of the Valley – just think about it.
Persona 4 Arena bashes Europe May 10
Persona 4 Arena finally has a European release date of May 10. After last week saw the silhouette of a May window fizzling onto the Midnight Channel - or distributor Zen United's Facebook page - today's much clearer announcement means the brawling follow-up to Persona 4 reaches the continent just under a year after its release in Japan.Arena's much-delayed arrival on the continent is compounded by Atlus' decision to region-lock the game, including the recent PSN version in North America. Europe originally expected the PS3 and Xbox 360 game on August 31, and then before the end of 2012.Zen United says it doesn't expect to have to announce any further delays, the distributor instead cheerily revealing a pre-order bonus from all retailers, which includes the original P4A Arrange soundtrack, some exclusive artwork, and a "Digital Fan Pack."
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R coming to western Vitas
Good news for fans of portable fighting, because (deep breath) Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R has been confirmed for a western release on PlayStation Vita. The news comes via the official Blazblue Facebook page, which notes that that the game is coming to the west, though there is "still no word" on exactly when that will happen.We spent a few minutes trying out Accent Core Plus R during TGS 2012, and what we saw compared favorably to the console version, which was released last year.
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on North American PSN Dec. 4
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus will arrive on the PlayStation Network in North America on December 4 for $14.99, according to Arc System Works' Takeshi Yamanaka over on Twitter. The game (which was originally released on the PS2 back in 2008) has quite a few different versions floating around, including one for the PSP, another on the Wii, and an XBLA version earlier this year. The PSN version has only been released in Japan thus far.Europeans: you'll need to "wait a bit more" for your release, says Yamanaka.Update: This post originally listed Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus' price on PSN as $4.99, which is incorrect. The body of this article has been updated to accurately reflect its real price of $14.99.
Persona 4 Arena now beating up Xbox Live Games on Demand
Atlus and Arc System Works' Persona 4 Arena is now available on Xbox Live Games on Demand for a whole $60, which is $20 more than the physical version costs on Amazon.So, if you're wanting to get hella immersed in the intricacies of inter-personal television doppelganger relationship fighting, you need to ask yourself whether you'd rather have said experience immediately, or if you'd rather spend that $20 difference on DLC costume colors and adorable glasses. The choice is yours alone to make; just know that Chie looks pretty fly in her bookish frames.
Persona 4 Arena isn't taking the stage in Europe this year
Persona 4 Arena isn't coming to Europe this year, now leaving it without a release window. Zen United, the company distributing the fighter, announced the delay via the Persona 4 Europe Facebook page. Zen says it will announce a projected release date once it receives the EU build, but currently the distributor doesn't even know when that build will be ready.Europeans originally expected the game on August 31, in the same month as the North American launch. Following that delay and today's news, fans are now left uncertain when the game will actually be released. This further delay only adds to scrutiny over the decision to enforce the game's region lock, a decision Atlus claims it took to prevent the North American version 'cannibalizing' its Japanese counterpart. Maybe Atlus should've consulted Murphy's law before making Arena the first PS3 game to have such a constraint.The Persona 4 tie-in fighter may be beaten to European retail shelves by Vita re-release Golden. Publisher NIS America is projecting a tentative February 22 for the latter's release.
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R coming to Japanese Vitas in 2013
Either Arc System Works is reinvigorating the public's awareness of its Guilty Gear brand for some nefarious purpose, or someone over there must have started reading all of my letters. At any rate, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R will be coming to the PlayStation Vita sometime in 2013.Not to be confused with Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, which is coming to Japanese PS3 and XBLA sometime this October, Accent Core Plus R is the revised version of Accent Core Plus will hit Japanese arcades near the end of this month.I played a quick round of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R while visiting Arc System Works' booth at the Tokyo Game Show and am thrilled to report that the port feels very solid. Framerates were consistent and my old Sol Badguy bread-and-butter combos came off without a hitch. As is the case with Guilty Gear announcements these days, no information was available regarding a North American launch. Time to write another letter, I guess.%Gallery-166132%
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus hits Japanese PSN/XBLA this Oct.
During a visit to the Arc System Works booth at the Tokyo Game Show, we discovered that the XBLA and PSN versions of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus will be launching sometime in October, provided you live in Japan.This revamped re-release -- of a revamped re-release of a revamped re-release -- will be available for ¥1,500/1,200 MS Points, depending on your platform of preference. Our booth visit also yielded this collection of screenshots, which conjures up nostalgic memories of after-school Grave Digger loops, mini-Faust hijinks and I-No's provocative finishing pose.%Gallery-166123%
Stiq Flicks: Persona 4 Arena and The Raid: Redemption
Stiq Flicks – from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly – examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens. The newly patched release of Persona 4 Arena has emerged from the tunnel of video games to steam past us with whistles and bells, heralding the fact that the holiday game onslaught is nearly upon us. In Persona 4 Arena – an RPG series transformed into a fighter – you have different characters battling it out in a televised tournament. There's a story in there somewhere that fans will appreciate, but the Persona games have a history that needs a Ken Burns documentary series to explain. Suffice it to say: despite the genre shift, there's still a lot of fighting going on. But Persona 4 Arena is about chaotic battles with avatars doing your dirty work for you, so we're pairing this with the dirty and gritty fistfights from the excellent The Raid: Redemption. If this movie doesn't inspire you to work out, or at least punch someone, then you might need to check your pulse. (Please don't punch each other – Ed.)
Arc System Works bringing Vector Racing to US eShop
If you've ever wondered what it would be like if F-Zero and every game ever released for the Vectrex had a baby, wonder no more: Vector Racing appears to be that very thing. Originally an iPhone title from Sweet-Soft, Arc System Work's 3DS port of Vector Racing will come to the eShop on August 23 at an unknown price point, according to Siliconera.The game features 12 line-art tracks, six outline vehicles and several different play modes, including Grand Prix, Time Trial, Versus and local multiplayer. No online multiplayer support, but the game does support leaderboards, which means you can find out who's caused the most retina damage in the shortest amount of time.
Persona 4 Arena patched on 360, XBL problems eradicated
Good news, everyone! The exceedingly laggy network play pervasive in the Xbox 360 version of Persona 4 Arena has been corrected in record time. The corrective patch is currently live and players will be prompted to update the game as soon as they load P4A up on a Live-enabled Xbox.Joystiq's preliminary testing indicates that the issue has indeed been solved, as all matches played synchronized quickly and were virtually indistinguishable from the game's offline framerate and performance. Unfortunately, this also means that we can no longer blame our devastating losses on performance issues.
