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Get up close and personal with these new EA Sports UFC screens
EA Sports recently added a few names to the EA Sports UFC roster, joined by some in-game shots of fighters from the neck up. The fighters playable in the game and seen in the included gallery are former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin, "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, Costas Philippou, Minotauro Nogueira, Demetrious Johnson, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen. Those fighters join the likes of co-cover athletes Jon "Bones" Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, Georges St-Pierre as well as female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, who were confirmed for the game in September. Certainly, athletes included in the 16-person cover fighter vote that began in November will be in the game as well, such as Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, Junior Dos Santos and Urijah Faber. The screens are meant to show the details of each athlete's likeness, but we just can't stop staring at Griffin's puffy cauliflower ears. Don't you want to poke at them? Boy, we sure do. EA Sports UFC will head to Xbox One and PS4 this spring.
1930s cartoon-inspired Cuphead targeting late 2014 on PC
Indie developer StudioMDHR's introductory game Cuphead will launch in late 2014 on PC. The game's graphics are turning a few cup-heads, as they are inspired by 1930's-era cartoons from Fleischer Studios, "old Disney" and particularly artists like Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, Grim Natwick (Betty Boop) and Willard Bowsky (Popeye). Cuphead is a run-and-gun game with a world that includes branching pathways and bosses, as well as weapons and power-ups. StudioMDHR, which consists of brothers Jared and Chad Moldenhauer, said Cuphead is a "retro game" at its core, "meaning it leans heavier on gameplay and not as much on story." The game's basic premise surrounds our hero Cuphead gambling with the devil, losing, then having to find a way to pay the devil back. "We wanted to avoid the classic save the world/princess and make the story/theme feel more comparable to 1930s cartoons," Chad told Joystiq. "This is why it is about Cuphead's deep-seated inability to stay out of trouble versus a hero destined to overcome a pre-existing obstacle. Even though he creates his own problems you can't help but root for his success." While StudioMDHR said the game will be difficult, Cuphead will have infinite lives and won't lose his weapons if he falls in battle, though there will be harder difficulty modes to challenge strong-willed players. Cuphead is confirmed for PC and StudioMDHR said it is "pursuing a console release." The developer shared a few more screens that show some of the game's behind-the-scenes design changes, which we've included in the gallery below.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 delisted from Xbox Live
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has officially disappeared from Xbox Live. The news doesn't come as a surprise, given that the final date to purchase DLC on the platform announced by Capcom is today. The game is still available on PSN for Vita, along with its collection of DLC, but there's no available download for the PS3 version of the game. Conversely, the other game set for delisting, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, is still available on Xbox Live but is nowhere to be found on PSN. It's unknown just how long the game will still be available on Microsoft's service. It arrived on XBLA in late July 2009 and is priced at $14.99.
Alexander Gustafsson selected as EA Sports UFC co-cover fighter
Swedish fighter Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson won EA Sports' cover athlete fan vote for EA Sports UFC. As a result, the number one UFC light heavyweight contender will stand next to current reigning light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones on the cover of the game, who is also shown in two new screens for the game issued by EA this week. Gustafsson beat Georges St-Pierre in the final round of the voting process, which accumulated over 11 million votes during the entire campaign, according to EA. The cover athlete vote began in early November with 16 fighters, which included heavy favorites like Ronda Rousey and Johny Hendricks. EA Sports UFC will launch in spring 2014 on Xbox One and PS4.
Konami requests Skullgirls takedown from XBLA, PSN
Following Skullgirls publisher Autumn Games' announced plans to knock out their business deal with Konami, Konami has requested the removal of Skullgirls from the PlayStation Network by December 17 and from Xbox Live Arcade by December 31. After likening the move to Final Fantasy 6's Magic Master casting Ultima before he dies, Skullgirls Design Director Mike Zaimont announced the impending delisting on the Skullgirls Weekly Stream channel. During the broadcast, Zaimont explained that Konami submitted the request to Sony without telling Autumn Games, leaving Sony to deliver the bad news. Zaimont explained that if the team finishes the new, self-published build of Skullgirls before Sony's QA team goes home for the winter break, Squigly and the improvements from the PC update's beta will be available "pretty immediately soon." If the deadline is not made, then Skullgirls will be removed from every regional PSN store other than Japan's, since that version was not published by Konami. Zaimont's requests to push back Konami's delisting date for the PSN until December 31 have been unsuccessful. Zaimont also explained that the new Xbox Live version of Skullgirls will be published by Marvelous AQL. However, since ownership of the property won't transfer from Konami to Marvelous until December 31, the same day as Konami's delisting deadline, Zaimont doesn't "know if Marvelous can submit a build before that or not, but I'm making one on the off chance that they'll be able to." If the new submissions to PSN and XBLA don't make it through each store's respective certification process before the winter break, Skullgirls may disappear from digial storefronts until the QA teams return and clear the builds. Zaimont also noted that it was unclear whether those who have purchased the Konami-published version of Skullgirls will be able to play online after that version is delisted. On a positive note, Zaimont said that that the PC beta for the new update is "going well" and the involved changes will be put into the retail version "right after [the North Eastern Championships]."
EA Sports UFC cover vote hits final round
EA Sports UFC's four-round co-cover athlete vote entered its final round today. The last two contestants left are Georges St-Pierre and Alexander Gustafsson, one of which will join reigning light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones on the cover of the PS4 and Xbox One game in 2014. The cover vote began earlier this month with 16 fighters, with heavy favorites like Ronda Rousey and Johny Hendricks exiting the fan vote in the first and second rounds, respectively. St-Pierre may be the new favorite to win a spot on the game's cover following his decision to step away from mixed martial arts for an undisclosed time after his successful welterweight championship defense against Hendricks at the UFC 167 event in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, St-Pierre's fans voted him past Hendricks in the second round of the EA Sports UFC cover athlete vote, which ends on December 1.
P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold announced for PS3
P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold is coming to Japanese PS3s in 2014, Atlus revealed during its NicoNico presentation. The game is a followup to Persona 4 Arena, the fighting game that combined Persona rosters for brawls last year.
AquaPazza launches with a full minute of adorable violence
The launch trailer for Atlus' anime-styled fighting game AquaPazza briefly tours the game's features and flashes its hard-hitting action. The fighting game launches tomorrow for PlayStation 3.
Jon Jones to share EA Sports UFC cover with fan-voted fighter
Falling in line with other sports games, EA Sports UFC will be embroiled in its own cover athlete contest, EA Sports announced. The winner of the four-round cover vote held on UFC's official site, which ends December 1, will share the game's box art with current light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones. The 16 candidates to share the spotlight with Jones are as follows: Demetrious Johnson, Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, Junior Dos Santos, Urijah Faber, Chael Sonnen, Jose Aldo, Michael Bisping, Anthony Pettis, Alex Gustafsson, Ben Henderson, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, Johny Hendricks and Miesha Tate. We like Rousey's odds at winning the vote as the women's bantamweight champion and the figurehead for the rising popularity of women's MMA, the representation of which is a core part of EA Sports UFC's feature set. We wouldn't be opposed to seeing a cheeky Chael Sonnen sharing the cover with the man he can't seem to overcome, however. EA Sports UFC will launch in spring 2014 on PS4 and Xbox One.
Female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate announced for EA Sports UFC [Update]
EA Sports announced that female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will be included in EA Sports UFC's roster. This is the first time the UFC series has included women, and comes just months after the women's bantamweight division was first added to the UFC's real-life arena. Rousey was the first woman to sign with the company in November 2012. EA Sports UFC will launch in Spring 2014 for Xbox One and PS4, and is in development by EA Canada's Fight Night team. The game will run on EA Sports' next-gen Ignite Engine. Update: EA tells Joystiq that "in order to remain authentic to the sport, female fighters will not be able to fight male fighters" in EA Sports UFC and that more female fighters will be announced closer to the game's launch.
KickBeat heading to Vita, PS3 with Cross Buy support in September
Zen Studios' music-meets-fighting game KickBeat will launch on Vita and PS3 on September 3. The rhythm game will support PSN's Cross Buy feature, so players that pick up one copy will have access to both versions. KickBeat tasks players with defeating enemies using timed button-presses to the beat of licensed musical artists such as Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Pendulum. The game also features a track generator, which allows players to turn their own music into KickBeat levels. %Gallery-195672%
Soul Calibur 2 HD Online coming to 360, PS3 this fall
Namco Bandai has just announced Soul Calibur 2 HD Online at San Diego Comic Con, Shoryuken reports. The fighter is headed to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall, and as the name suggests is a high-definition, presumably online-enabled remake of the 2003 PlayStation 2 version of the game. As such, it will include the PS2 version's console-specific character, Heihachi of Tekken infamy. [Technically, the original Xbox version came close to HD, outputting at a maximum of 720p in a 4:3 aspect - Ed.] No word on whether Spawn (the Xbox version's exclusive character) will ever be available, though we feel safe in assuming that Link won't be repeating his cameo from the GameCube port. We're keeping an eye out for the inevitable trailer and screenshots, but for now let's re-enter the stage of history with the game's original cinematic intro sequence.
Divekick gets August 20 release date and Cross Buy support
Divekick, Iron Galaxy's two-button fighting game, will launch on August 20, as announced during a Twitch broadcast at EVO 2013. The game will cost $10. Divekick will also support Sony's "Cross Buy" functionality on PSN, so players that own a PS3 and Vita only need to buy the game once to download it to both systems. Iron Galaxy is still working on bringing the brawler to Steam through Greenlight.
Black Desert melding action combat with sandbox MMOs
Pearl Abyss developer Daeil Kim recently spoke to MMORPG.com regarding the firm's upcoming Black Desert title. The fantasy sandbox is entering the home stretch toward its first closed beta test, after which Kim says the firm will publish in its native Korea and then look to sign on with a Western distributor. The interview touches on various gameplay aspects including PvP -- Black Desert is not an RvR game, according to Kim -- housing, and action combat. "Unlike other MMORPGs, we have attempted to facilitate greater variety in action combat sequences beyond simply pressing number keys," Kim explains, while also noting that he's a big fan of Street Fighter, Final Fight, and Samurai Showdown. "In action games, the timing of pressing a key and a mouse click, as well as a monster's reaction against the user's attack, is extremely important. We are trying to develop our game so that players must purposefully control their character and so that objects or monsters react in a more complex manner." [Thanks Dengar!]
The Art of Wushu: Offense is the best defense
Previously in The Art of Wushu, we discussed the basic combat mechanics in Age of Wushu. If you have played the game for more than a week or so, you are likely familiar with most of it. A basic RPS mechanic is the simplest type of combat design, and many other games, especially those with "robust" melee combat, tend to have some RPS as the basis of its complexity. However, Age of Wushu focuses a lot on uneven risk and reward. It is not enough to simply have RPS elements. A combat design built around mixups should also have many different options between these mixups that create an inter-RPS. Let me explain broadly: Some rocks beat other rocks, but the other rocks provide better rewards when used against scissors. Some rocks might even provide benefits when used against paper! The series of mindgames interwoven into your attack choice are the focus for this week.
Daily iPhone App: Solara stands out from the clash of clones
Clash of Clans is one of the freemium sim titles making lots of money on the App Store, and so it's no surprise that the market has been flooded with clones lately; games where you build up a town Farmville-style, and then send troops from that town out into the world to complete quests. Solara is one of these: You use gold earned by building shops in town to create more buildings and unlock heroes, and then you can use those heroes to defeat monsters and earn more gold. But what sets Solara off from the rest of games like this on the App Store is its design and charm. This isn't just a generic freemium title. First time iOS developer Esper Labs has put plenty of heart into the different facilities you build and the heroes you level up, and that extra effort makes the game's familiar cycle shine. Unfortunately, Solara still leans a bit too much towards the casual side for some hardcore fans -- personally, I'd like a little more action in the battles. As it is now, they essentially just play out without any input from the player, which can be frustrating when you've made a mistake lining up your team. Most of the depth comes from choosing your heroes to fight, which all have different skills and strengths. But it'd be nice to see a developer try to really make the periodic fights in these games actual tests of skill or game knowledge, rather than just animations (which are skippable, even) playing out as they go. Still, Esper Labs is looking for that huge Clash of Clans audience, and that audience is completely fine with just letting the game play itself. If you haven't tried one of these games yet, or maybe have gotten tired of just playing CoC all the time, Solara's worth a look. It's a well-made game with a cycle that's just as addictive as always, and of course it's free to play. I do wish, however, that instead of just adding its design talent to the standard formula, Esper Labs had tried to add a little bit more.
Razer's Atrox arcade stick still exists, pre-orders open May 21
Gaming hardware manufacturer Razer has wrapped up the beta testing phase for its long-in-development Razer Atrox Arcade Stick for the Xbox 360, and will begin accepting pre-orders next week. We had a look at a prototype version of Razer's controller at TGS way back in 2011, where the concept made a strong showing. Razer previously announced that it would be working closely with the fighting game community throughout the Atrox's development, and the finished product will ship with tournament-grade Sanwa buttons and multiple interchangeable ball-top and bat-top sticks. Razer has developed the Atrox with modding in mind; the hatch-like surface can be opened with a button press, allowing for easy maintenance and design customization. Once opened, the Atrox boasts a spacious interior with compartments for replacement parts, tools, and the fat wads of cash you'll pick up from underground Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 money matches. Atrox pre-orders will open at Razer's website on May 21. The Atrox will retail for $200.
Skullgirls character color packs hit PSN, balance patch out on XBLA
Lab Zero Games released a PlayStation Network-exclusive batch of new DLC for its 2D fighter Skullgirls, giving the game's cast a wider variety of colorful wardrobe options. Skullgirls' eight color packs grant access to five additional color schemes per character, and are priced at $0.99 each. Players can also grab all 40 alternate outfits by purchasing a $5 bundle. Owners of the Xbox Live Arcade edition will have to wait until a later date to explore this new world of color coordination. Starting today, however, XBLA players now have access to a long-delayed balance patch. The newly released "required compatibility update," which is available as a hefty 273 MB download, fixes regional online play and improves GGPO performance, among many other character-specific tweaks. A full list of changes is here.%Gallery-188334%
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs keep the gore on the down-low?
If there's one staple that MMOs share with other video games, it's that fighting tends to be a mostly bloodless and gore-free affair. Sure, sometimes a daring game might throw in blood fireworks that erupt in the air to signify that you're doing some damage, but you and your enemy will appear in model health until one of you keels over from invisible wounds. Of course, as time progresses and technology gives us terrific marvels, there's the potential for games to start showing more and more wounds on our characters. It kind of reminds me how there used to be action figures with the main selling point that you could transform them into disfigured, gory versions as they took "battle damage." What do you think? Should MMOs continue to keep combat gore on the down-low or have you had enough of these abstract, bloodless brawls? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Steve Jackson's Sorcery! gamebook coming to the App Store
Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is an old series back from the early 1980s where you "played" through a sort of Choose Your Own Adventure-style story, except that instead of just flipping pages, you actually cast spells, fight in combat and do other fantasy-based activities. These books were reprinted back in 2002, but it's been announced that they're coming to iOS soon, as fully interactive books to play with. Most interactive books on the App Store are either meant for children or show off only a limited amount of interactivity, but these seem different -- they're heavily dependent on text, but they do offer some nice interactive touches from the original books. There's even some fun procedural stuff: When you do combat in the game, the book creates custom-made text for you to read about the outcome of the battle. It all looks very cool, and it's a nice throwback for those of us who played with these books all those years ago. Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is set to be submitted to the App Store right away, so we should see it for ourselves very soon.
