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Persona 4 Arena removed from Europe's PlayStation Store
Persona 4 Arena and all its DLC are no longer on the PlayStation Store in Europe, all of a sudden. When asked about the disappearance, Sony Europe's Jawad Ashraf could only note the fighter was removed by request of "the publisher." "I haven't been given any information as to why, just that we obliged with the request," Ashraf said in the PlayStation Blog comments. "Sorry I can't be more transparent."
Live-action Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist debuts on May 23
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, a live-action web series that focuses on Ryu and Ken's studying of the Ansatsuken fighting style, will arrive in its entirety on May 23 on Machinima's main YouTube channel. Aside from picking up their iconic move set, the duo learn about dark past events involving Ansatsuken and their master, Goken. The series was written by Joey Ansah, who reprises his roll as Akuma from Street Fighter: Legacy, and Christian Howard, who also returns to play the fiery-shoyruken-savvy Ken. Assassin's Fist Limited produced the series in association with Lonely Rock Productions, Gloucester Place films, Capcom USA and Evropa Film. [Image: Machinima]
New Street Fighter IV iPhone media arrives on US shores
Though we all got a first eyes-on with Street Fighter IV's iPhone appearance not too long ago via an exclusive early look from GamePro, Capcom just officially released the first video of the game as well as a smattering of new screenshots (all 32 of which have been conveniently compiled by Andriasang). And while the trailer seen above features the same two fighters (Ken and Ryu) that the last video did, we certainly don't mind getting another chance to marvel at the uncanny vision of Street Fighter IV being played competitively on iPhones; it's quite like being drunk in North Korea -- something just doesn't feel right. The trailer also gives a "Coming March 2010" at the end, so it would seem that we don't have too much longer before we'll be able to marvel at the game from the comfort of our own phones. %Gallery-86253%
iPhone Street Fighter IV has eight characters, will cost $10
GamePro has dropped some details on the iPhone version of Street Fighter IV, which is due out in March. The site has word that Capcom will sell the game for $9.99 on Apple's App Store, and that it will feature a total of eight characters: Ryu, Ken, Guile, Blanka, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, M. Bison and Abel. While it hasn't shared any gameplay impressions yet, it did post a video, which you can see after the break. Surprisingly, the game looks just like Street Fighter IV, with the ultra moves, same colorful art style and other graphical touches from the bigger console versions. We're still not sure about playing with the touchscreen "buttons," though -- while they aren't in the way as much as we thought from the original screenshots (most of the fighting takes place in the middle of the screen), not having that tactile feedback could be a problem. Still, the game looks good. No exact release date yet, but like all those people hanging out in the backgrounds of these fights, we'll be watching. %Gallery-86253%
Gouken added to hidden roster of Street Fighter IV
The martial arts master known for teaching Ryu and Ken everything they know has been added as a secret character in Street Fighter IV. Gouken, who is often mistakenly referred to as Sheng Long, will be a computer-controlled character only -- meaning he is not set to be a playable character in the upcoming fighter.Many back stories exist for the fallen master of Ryu and Ken, but we have a few favorites. In one familiar back story, Gouken is challenged by his brother Akuma, who is also the murderer of their master Goutetsu, where Akuma eventually kills his brother in the altercation. Another story, set up as the basis of Ken and Ryu's journey in Street Fighter II, sees Gouken killed by the invading mastermind M. Bison.Capcom promises the character will require a special unlock procedure but we think it's safe to say that when Gouken is squaring off against you, he will be one tough hombre to wrassle with.
Ryu not planning to punch you in the face
Recurring rumors have been flying about for some time now concerning the possible release of Street Fighter IV on the Wii. It was never a long shot to hope the port would be made, but producer Yoshinori Ono pretty much summed it up speaking at Capcom's Captivate 08: "The fact of the matter is we haven't planned for a Wii version yet." Plans? Since when is this planning thing important for game development? Well, Ryu's totally badass Shoryuken is always unplanned, and comes out of nowhere when you least expect it. Maybe when the time is right, we'll get a face full of hard-hitting SFIV Wii news. For now ... no plans.
North America gets exclusive love in We Love Golf
Click for larger image Two new characters (here and here) have been revealed for those of us here in North America in Capcom's upcoming golf title, We Love Golf. While it would appear one of those characters is Morrigan, from the Darkstalkers games, that's actually just a costume on one of the new characters (so we guess this is the result of that poll?). There's also another costume that allows the other new character to dress up as Ken.Check out the new characters in our gallery below, which has been updated with over 20 new screens from the game.%Gallery-10822%[Via press release]
Ken and Morrigan shown hitting the links in We Love Golf
If there's one thing to keep us interested in video game golf it's alternate costumes, followed closely by karate masters and top-heavy succubi. Thankfully, however, Capcom is giving us all three in its upcoming Wii exclusive We Love Golf, which will let players dress their golfers as either Street Fighter blondie Ken or Darkstalkers femme fatale Morrigan, among other familiar faces.While the pair's North American-exclusive inclusion in the game was revealed last March following the results of a reader poll, Capcom took time today to send over some screens showing what we can expect when the duo hits the links on July 15. Check out the shots below, including what Capcom calls its "first African-American incarnation of Ken Masters." Shoryuken!%Gallery-23070%
Ken and Morrigan to love golf
Because it's now the law that all cartoony sports games must contain company mascots, Capcom recently asked fans who they'd most like to see make a cameo in the western release of Camelot's We Love Golf. A week and a half on, and the people have spoken, voting for Ken (from, duh, Street Fighter) and Morrigan (from the Darkstalker series).Neither character exactly springs to mind when golf is mentioned, though we suppose that's precisely the point. Mind you, we fear Morrigan especially will struggle to fit in. Will that choice of hair color really fly with the stuffy golf establishment? And what of those demonic wings sprouting from the side of her head? She'll be a pariah within minutes of flapping into the clubhouse.
Ken and Chun Li coming to Perfect KO MMOG
The Insert Credit site has the news that the Korean online fighting game Perfect KO (which enters Beta test this month), will feature the Street Fighter characters Ken and Chun Li as playable avatars. The licensing deal for this unique Asian-aimed title surprised commentator Brandon Sheffield: It's interesting for a few reasons - one is that the characters are customizable, so you'll be able to tailor your SF folks a bit. Another is that the company has stated (according to the second linked article) that they're open to more licenses in the future from other fighting games. And in fact, it's quite interesting that they'll be 3D. Who will provide the models, I wonder?The news comes originally from the Japanese gaming site 4gamer (babelfish translation). Perfect KO is in development by the company Neowiz, makers of titles like Silk Road, Shot Online, and SEALS Online. The best example of the game's playstyle I could find is a YouTube trailer for the title. (Sound is NSFW, as there is a Linken Park song dubbed over the footage; video should be fine.)
Fresh UC screens show Ken doll zombies
Sometimes a zombie is just going to be naked. We've all been there, fighting for our life against a horde of the undead, only to find one or more of them lacking clothes. It's pretty funny for a moment, then we've all got back to the dispatching of the undead. Old hat, we know.But these new Umbrella Chronicles screens are the stuff of nightmares. Naked zombies taking on a sort of doll-like appearance, lacking any kind of gender definition whatsoever? Man, that's all kinds of scary. Oh, and the mutant monkies aren't exactly the stuff of pleasant dreams, either.%Gallery-3286%
Akuma's Street Fighter II HD makeover
Last week we got our first look at Ken from the upcoming 1080p remake of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and today Udon Comics has given us a look at SFII badass, Akuma. Just like Ken before him, Akuma's HD treatment looks absolutely amazing and sports an incredible amount of detail. The artists at Udon have really done an awesome job at updating the geriatric sprites -- these new shots look almost too good to be true. According to the post on the Capcom blog site though, the images are straight from the game with the backgrounds removed, which bodes fantastically for the final product. Luckily, SSFIITHDR is coming out later this year so we don't have long to wait until we get our high-def Hyduken on.%Gallery-3777%[Via High-Score]
Ken's looking good for new HD Street Fighter II
This is Ken, you may recognize him from such games as ... well, almost every version of Street Fighter ever. Capcom released this image of how Ken will look in the upcoming Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix for XBLA and PSN. Anybody who purchased the other Street Fighter II game on XBLA feel ripped off? Yeah, us too.The new look is thanks to Udon Comics and we can't wait to see this thing in motion. Capcom will be releasing new images of the re-drawn sprites over time leading up to the release of SFIITHDR at some indeterminate point in the future. We have no doubt that this game is going to be gorgeous, we're just hoping the controls feel "right" using the Xbox 360 and PS3 controller.[Via Xbox360Fanboy, Thanks Jared]
Pachinko is really exciting!
Dude, we had no idea pachinko was so cool! We knew Japan was all into it, but we always thought it was some boring gambling thing. Turns out it's all a bunch of big people with huge chest muscles beating the crap out of each other in a post-apocalyptic wasteland! Man, when that guy punched the other guy like a hundred times really fast, that was some awesome pachinko! And then the other guy like exploded into a beam of yellow light! And the cool pachinko music was playing, and it totally got us pumped about pachinko!We know the graphics aren't totally next-gen (look at the cardboard hair), but it must be super tough to render realistic pachinko visuals! We are going to buy Jissen Pachinko/Pachislot Hisshouhou! Sammy's Collection Hokuto no Ken Wii RIGHT. NOW. We're totally ready for some pachinko mayhem! Watch the totally cool pachinko video after the break, and you'll feel the same way! PACHINKOOOOOO![Via Siliconera]
Hudson Entertainment president talks about TG16 and Virtual Console
As you may have guessed, we're big Turbografx-16 fans here, so Brandon Sheffield's interview with Hudson USA president John Greiner, who was with the company through that system's lifetime, was an especially good read for us. The interview is long and detailed, and covers a lot of Hudson's lesser-known franchises like Tengai Makyou, as well as the fantastic Kato-chan and Ken-chan, which we got as JJ & Jeff. It also talks about how Hudson got into the Virtual Console biz.Here's the quote of the freaking millennium for us: "We're looking at...you know, eventually all Turbo Grafx games will be on the Virtual Console, because they're going to be emulations." Oh, no, wait, that's awesome, but here's the quote of the millennium: "We're going to work on the Turbo Grafx titles, but there were 600 some-odd PC Engine titles, and there were only 150 or so Turbo Grafx titles, so I think that if people tell us they want these games, absolutely." We cannot control our dancing. It is difficult to type at the moment.
Finally, a pachinko game for the Wii
We might sound sarcastic, but we're happy to see different kinds of games come to the Wii. This latest title from Sega Sammy is a collection of pachinko and pachislot (pachinko plus slot machine) simulations, called (deep breath!) Jissen Pachinko/Pachislot Hisshouhou! Sammy's Collection Hokuto no Ken Wii (Fighting Pachinko/Pachislot Victory Way! Sammy's Collection Fist of the North Star Wii). It's based on the same popular Sega Sammy pachinko games that have been released on the DS, PS2, and PSP, and contains a bundle of pachinko and pachislot boards. And, of course, it carries the license of the classic, brutal Fist of the North Star manga and anime series.This one is interesting for the same reason a lot of Wii games are: Wiimote controls. Apparently, you can use the Wiimote steering-wheel style to control the speed of the dropping balls. We admire the novel Wiimote use! It also has online ranking, in case competition motivates your pachinko-playing.Jissen Pachinko/Pachislot Hisshouhou! Sammy's Collection Hokuto no Ken Wii (Fighting Pachinko/Pachislot Victory Way! Sammy's Collection Fist of the North Star Wii) comes out on May 24th in Japan, and probably never anywhere else. Any pachinko fans here? Do any of you import these kinds of things?
Find the differences between Quickspot and this new San-X game
Hint: there aren't many. San-X no Chara Sagashi Land (San-X Character Searching Land) offers the exact same kind of gameplay as Quickspot, with San-X trappings. San-X, for those of you who don't follow the Adorable Junk scene, is a sub-label of Hello Kitty creators Sanrio whose characters are ... different enough in some inscrutable way to be separate from the main brand. So, instead of getting to look at two nearly-identical Katamari Damacy images (sigh) and drawing circles around the differences, you'll be scrutinizing Tarepanda the sleepy panda, Kogepan, the anthropomorphic bread who has depression, and others. And for your troubles you get a gallery of mascot images. Of the same characters you were just staring at.We don't mean to sound down on the game-- we're actually really surprised at what new genres the DS design is encouraging. There may have been 'look at two things at once and spot the differences' games before, but the DS is absolutely perfect for them.We've included a few precious screens after the break.
Play GTA this fall... in toy form
Grand Theft Auto in your hands... sounds too good to be true, right? If for some reason, you want to ignore the impending release of Vice City Stories for the PSP, you can pick up these Kubrick toys. The set of five includes Tommy, Lance, Ricardo, Candi and Ken so that you can re-enact your favorite GTA scenes in the palm of your hand. Imagine how cool you'll appear to your co-workers as they see you screaming "It's time for the Lance Vance Dance!" while playing with these figures. They're available for only $35, a real bargain considering how some of my own most-wanted figures cost much, much more.[Via QJ]
Sony's manufacturing method to change next year
Ken Kutaragi recently revealed that the process for making the Cell chip will go from a 90nm process down to 65nm. This will help cut the costs of manufacturing. The chip is currently being manufactured at IBM's Fishkill and Sony's Nagasaki factories. With the decrease in cost, it's possible that devices utilizing the chip could also see a lower price point when arriving to retail, to which Kutaragi hinted at devices other than the company's next-gen console as possible recipients. However in the case of the PS3, this drop in cost is unlikely to be seen. [Via IGN]
Sony: We want PS3 to be like the ipod
Ken Kutaragi recently held a very long interview with Japanese web site PC Impress Watch where he spoke about the PS3's current presence and that for Sony, their goal is to have their next-generation console have the kind of market pull that the Apple brand does."Steve Jobs could slap an Apple logo on the PS3 and sell them for $2,000 each. We couldn't do that. That's the difference between the PlayStation brand and a computer brand, like Apple."Kutaragi emphasized that he wished to make the term "PS3" synonymous with "entertainment computer." The company's goals seem to be in establishing an electronics "ecosystem" in the consumer's household, where the name Sony means enjoyment. However, where Apple has achieved this through stylish, trendy gadgets at affordable pricing, will this goal be achievable for Sony given the hefty price tag of the unit?[Via Gamespot]
