Street-Fighter-IV
Latest
We get beaten up at Capcom's NYC Fight Club so you don't have to
So what if you weren't able to make it out to Capcom's second annual NYC Fight Club last night? Don't worry, we went -- and got trounced by the competition -- in your stead. Though Super Street Fighter IV was only there for Capcom to demo (and give a small handful of community members time with), we snapped pictures of everything. We also played a mess of Tatsunoko vs Capcom in a next to final build (yes, we put the two recently revealed characters through their paces), and even shot some video of legendary Street Fighter player turned Capcom employee Seth Killian demoing new SSFIV characters in front of a roaring crowd (550 or so people over the course of the night, a rep approximated for us -- more than double last year's attendance numbers). As we weren't able to get our hands on the three new fighters being showcased (Juri, Deejay, and T. Hawk), we talked to Jamal Brewster, a gentleman who exchanged kindness for some time with Deejay during one of the night's four live demos. "He doesn't feel cheap or overpowered .. he does feel good though, like he belongs in the game -- a lot of his moves have been retained from previous games," Brewster told us, echoing sentiments from Seth Killian earlier in the night. But how did you get chosen to play the game, you lucky dog? "One of the representatives here, she was almost passing out in the corner over there, and a friend of mine and I noticed this, so we did our best to try to help her out. We sat her down, gave her some water, and the people here were so grateful that they offered me a chance to play Super Street Fighter IV and they gave me an autographed hoodie of Tatsunoko vs Capcom." In case it wasn't already clear: Yes, Capcom Fight Club is most certainly for the fans. Hit the break for a video of the new characters in action (sorry about the quality -- it was really dark) and be sure to peep the gallery below -- it's just like you were there! We'll have a hands-on of Tatsunoko vs Capcom's final two characters later on. Promise.%Gallery-76410%
Resident Evil and Street Fighter join the Capcom music store
For the longest time, we didn't understand game soundtracks. "Hey, just turn the game on and walk away," we said. But after our 17th red ring and 10th Cell chip to commit melty, plasticy suicide, we quickly began to see the value. Capcom's feeding our new habit with three new additions to the Music section of the Capcom Store: Ten Years Of Resident Evil: The Official Soundtrack, Resident Evil 5: Original Soundtrack and Street Fighter IV: Original Soundtrack. If you too are hesitant about leaping into game soundtracks, Capcom's sweetening the offer with 25 percent off the Mega Man 9 score for anyone who purchases one of the new offerings.
Street Fighter IV's Abel before he bulked up
The official Super Street Fighter IV development blog has revealed some unused character art for the first game, revealing a different take on Abel than the giant amnesiac in bike shorts we know now. Before he was beefy and uncomfortably pant-less, he was wispy ... and pretty much only in pants."With Abel," battle planner Taisaku Okada explained (as translated by Andriasang) we wanted to make someone representative of 'the weak can beat the strong,' and so he was originally a small judo character who could be mistaken for a girl." Eventually, it would appear, they opted for someone representative of 'the strong can beat the ... also strong."The post also reveals E. Honda's skeleton, which, like all the characters', is rendered in full 3D. The other characters' hairstyles probably don't have bone structure, however.[Via Andriasang]
Left 4 Dead, GTAIV, SFIV join Xbox Platinum Hits
Microsoft has announced that several new titles will soon be joining the ranks of the Xbox 360's budget priced Platinum Hits line. The new additions include some seriously heavy hitters, namely Grand Theft Auto IV, Street Fighter IV, Left 4 Dead, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Saints Row 2. Microsoft's announcement (oh so conveniently) neglected to mention prices for any of the titles, but a quick check around the ol' internet points to a price of $29.99 for most of the new additions (though SFIV curiously seems pegged around $40 for the moment). We should also point out that while these are some legitimately great games, both SFIV and Force Unleashed are receiving upgraded, budget versions in the near future -- Ultimate Sith Edition later this year and Super Street Fighter IV in early 2010. It's also worth noting Left 4 Dead is receiving a full-blown sequel only a month from now. Microsoft has also announced that retailers will be offering a "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" promotion for Xbox 360 Platinum Hits through October 31, though the release makes no mention of which retailers are doing so. We've contacted Microsoft for more information on the promotion.
Keiji Inafune says Japanese game industry is over, man
Giving Tokyo Game Show attendees a chance to get some hands-on time with Western-developed Dead Rising 2 at a party this week, Capcom's Keiji Inafune stated, "Japan is over. We're done. Our game industry is finished." Bionic Commando producer Ben Judd translated the Mega Man creator's claims to the crowd (that Destructoid captured on video, found after the break), explaining the eulogy as Inafune's reaction to the show floor at this year's TGS.Unsurprisingly, his words were less harsh about his Japanese company's upcoming titles. "Just so that you all don't think that the game industry is finished, Capcom is doing our best," he said. Next year's Dark Void and Dead Rising 2 -- both Western developed games, mind you -- can't hurt Inafune's confidence, eh?
Mad Catz kicks off Round 2 of Street Fighter IV peripherals
Any alley brawler worth his or her salt knows that when it comes to succeeding at Street Fighter IV, a standard controller doesn't really cut it. You can try and hold out on purchasing a custom-tailored joystick, but consider yourself warned: Capcom and Mad Catz are trying very, very hard to break your spirit. Earlier today, the peripheral manufacturer announced "Round 2" of its line of FightPads and a brand new FightStick, all of which will be dropping later this fall. At $149.99, you'd have to be a fighting game fanatic to shell out for the Tournament Edition FightStick -- though that black and white motif is strangely alluring. You're more likely to spring for the $39.99 FightPads, each of which feature a design based on one of the game's characters. We'd be remiss if we didn't point out that the placement of the Start and Select buttons on the Crimson Viper FightPad is, well ... unfortunate.
Shoryuken expect a Street Fighter IV sequel
It's not often that we get to post a breaking news, stop-the-presses kind of story about an impending sequel to a beloved franchise. Of course, that adage doesn't really apply to Street Figher, a series with more sequels and spin-offs than the Joystiq staff has fingers and toes. On the Japanese Street Fighter IV blog, Capcom's Natsuki Shiozawa intimated that an announcement regarding a sequel would be made in the near future. With TGS only a week away, we can only hope that such an announcement will be made then. IGN quite rightly notes that an SFIV "sequel" doesn't necessarily equate to a brand new entry in the series. Given the series' history, it's easily possible that it could end up being an extension of the game, à la Street Fighter II Championship Edition. We might add that an SFIV refresh would be perfect for the impending holiday shopping season.
Street Fighter IV characters go 2D, revisit the late '90s
If Street Fighter IV were made 10 years ago and lacked all those bulging 3D muscles and gorilla hands, it might look something like the images you see above. Shoryuken forum member Steamboy33 took it upon himself to draw up Street Fighter 3-esque versions of 11 different characters from SFIV, reappropriating sprites from previous SF games as a template. The adorable stature of these sprites almost has us wishing for a Smash Bros. meets mini-Capcom game, but let's be realistic -- no one wants to fight Seth ever again. Ever. %Gallery-21918%[Via iPlayWinner]
Street Fighter IV half off on Steam this weekend
Because we like for you to have options, we would like to present you with two ways to enjoy Street Fighter IV at half-off: Take half off the title and play Street Fighter II Take half off the price and buy Street FIghter IV from Steam this weekend Chances are you can do the former without any expenditure. Look around your house -- you probably have a few copies of Street Fighter II lying about. But we would strongly recommend that if you choose the latter option, you make haste to your nearest -- oh, right, you're probably already at your computer. Anyway, the sale is only active this weekend, so if you want to have a version of SFIV you can put Doraemon into, act now!%Gallery-21918%
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 FightStick, other new Mad Catz fighting peripherals spotted at GameStop conference
Shoryuken forumite ohgee saw some new, unannounced Mad Catz FightSticks and FightPads at the ongoing GameStop Manager Conference, and snapped some pictures for the community. Perhaps most noteworthy is the confirmation of the rumored Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Tournament Edition FightStick, with yellow and white buttons and artwork from the recent MvC2 downloadable release. GameStop employees in the thread say it'll be out September 25 for $159.99, a $10 increase over the original TE FightStick.Other new items found at the conference include a "Round 2" Street Fighter IV FightStick with new art, and several new FightPads.[Thanks Ninjax!]
Limited edition SFIV sticks at PAX, only 1000 being made
click to enlarge Mad Catz has announced that it will be bringing a special limited edition of its Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition Fightsticks to the Penny Arcade Expo. And when we say limited, we mean it: Only 1,000 sticks will be made available -- 650 for Xbox and 350 for PS3 -- and the majority of them will be available exclusively from the Capcom booth at PAX. For those unable to attend, a "very limited stock" will be available at the Capcom and GameShark online stores. The "Femme Fatale" joystick, as you can see above, is decked out with the ladies of Street Fighter IV, including Sakura, Crimson Viper, Chun-Li, Cammy and Rose. It's also packs a lilac color scheme, which seems appropriate given the bumps and bruises players will be doling out with it (virtual bumps and bruises, of course). The sticks will go on sale this Friday, September 4, on a first-come-first-serve basis, limited to two per customer. If you want one, you'd best be quick. %Gallery-71333%
Street Fighter IV joystick phone straps push our buttons [update]
[Update: Strapya's US branch is taking pre-orders as well!]Japanese phone strap retailer StrapyaNext just started accepting pre-orders for the most awesome cell phone accessories ever (next to the Hello Kitty/Space Invaders charm, of course). These tiny joysticks, in Ryu, Ken, Dhalsim, and Chun Li versions, play Street Fighter IV voice clips in response to the correct button command. For example, if you input down, right, and punch on the Ryu Real Voice Action Cell Phone Strap, it will play "Hadouken!" The same movement on the Dhalsim charm will play "Yoga Fire!" And then you can tell the person you're talking to on the phone that you need to hang up because your close, personal friends Ryu and Dhalsim have arrived.These straps, limited to 1,000 each, will also be sold at the Ikebukuro Tokyu Hands shop, and at the Tokyo Game Show, for ¥1,260 ($13).[Via GAME Watch]
Poor Zangief statue needs a good home
You see them every day on the streets, or on Kotaku, but we've learned to turn a blind eye to them. "Oh sure," you think, "Zangief statuettes are sad, but surely someone else will take them in. Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" But look at what that cycle of neglect has done to the poor things. You're killing them.In the last quarter of this year, you'll finally be able to stop the cycle, when PopCultureShock allows you to put a roof over the head of one of these lost souls. For just $375, you can have Street Fighter II-era Zangief glowering at you for the rest of your natural life, and can you really put a price on that? Well, besides $375, obviously.
Street Fighter IV, FEAR 2, MadWorld, more for $20 at GameStop
Sometimes it's better not to ask questions, which is the approach we're taking with GameStop's sale on several solid titles for $20 new -- and not GameStop's definition of "new," but actually new. The sale started today, for both online and stores, and goes until August 2. Highlights include: Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360 and PS3) FEAR 2: Project Origin (Xbox 360 and PS3) Silent Hill Homecoming (Xbox 360) MadWorld (Wii) Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii) The full list and more nitpicking details about the sale can be found over at CAG. Although many of the titles make sense as part of the sale (Lair), the big question is: Why Street Fighter IV? Is Capcom planning to announce a Turbo Hyper Fighting Alpha Remix Championship Beefcake Easy-Bake Snuggie Edition?Update: We were curious to know if Capcom was invoved with the price drop. A company rep informed us, "We don't have input into these sales, they're entirely generated by Gamestop."
Special edition Mad Catz Street Fighter IV controllers set for limited engagement at Comic-Con
Heading to Comic-Con this year? If not, you'll be missing out on a limited edition Street Fighter IV-branded FightSticks and FightPads from Mad Catz, with button layouts designed to maximize your hadouken-throwing efficiency and with a design the Joystiq crew labels as inspired by Sagat (the character) -- a perfect complement to your Tournament Edition sticks. According to Capcom's official blog, only 500 of each have been made, divided evenly between PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The pad will cost you $49.99, the sticks $179.99, and the online auction resale value guaranteed to be even more.[Via Joystiq]
Limited edition Mad Catz SFIV controllers available at Comic-Con
Do you want to be the envy of all your fighting game opponents without actually having to be any good at fighting games? Mad Catz has created a set of exclusive Street Fighter IV controllers, to be available only at the San Diego Comic-Con (July 23-26) in limited numbers (500 FightPads each for PlayStation 3 and Xbox, and 250 Tournament Edition FightSticks for each console). Both controllers feature a color scheme and artwork inspired by Sagat -- the art appears to represent his trademark scar. The FightStick features new details like Hadouken arrow diagrams on the joystick dust cover. It'll sell for $179.99 at the show, and for significantly more later on eBay. The FightPads will be available for $49.99.%Gallery-68356%
Stream EVO 2K9 from home, maintain a safe distance from stray Shoryukens
If you like to watch crazy high-level play in fighting games this weekend, but are among the few people who won't be in Las Vegas from the 17th through the 19th, you'll be pleased to learn that this year's EVO 2K9 fighting game tournament will be streamed online on Capcom-Unity, Shoryuken.com, and the EVO 2K9 site. From the comfort of your own home, you'll be able to watch people like national Street Fighter IV champion Justin Wong and the legendary Daigo Umehara deliver swift punishment to so-called "competitors" in games including Street Fighters III and IV, Soul Calibur IV, SSF2THDR, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, and more. If you do happen to make it to Las Vegas's Rio Resort and Casino, you'll be able to play the first public demo of PSN/XBLA Marvel Vs. Capcom and more on the tournament's demo stations.
Capcom admits to overpowered Seth and Sagat in Street Fighter IV
Have you been tearing your hair out in frustration in matches against Street Fighter IV's Sagat and final boss Seth? The good news is, provided you can also swing the giant scar and the eyepatch, you're on your way to looking like Sagat. Ryota Niitsuma, assistant producer on the arcade version of the game, told Videogamer that the two fighters are a little too powerful. When asked if any SFIV characters were disproportionately powerful, he replied, "Well first of all I might have to apologise! Does he involve being slightly blinded and scarred [laughs]?"While he admitted that "Yes, Seth and perhaps Sagat might have turned out a little bit stronger than we expected," Niitsuma said that skilled players of other World Warriors can still beat Sagat or Seth players. And yes, we know that the image doesn't have anything to do with Sagat or Seth, but we wanted to link to Capcom's recent gallery of SFIV wallpapers, and it doesn't feature any images of those two characters.%Gallery-39771%
Shadaloo Lounge celebrates 'Legend of Chun-Li' DVD release, awards $2000
Do not adjust your eyes, you are seeing multiple Chun-Lis. After transforming LA's Chinatown Mountain Bar into M. Bison's favorite watering hole, Mike Ross was awarded $2,000 for placing first in best-of-16 Street Fighter IV tournament. The one-night-only event was organized by Capcom and I Am 8-bit to "celebrate" the DVD and Blu-ray release of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. We think "celebrate" is the wrong word, but according to Capcom's Unity blog, that's what the party was organized for.We send our congratulations to Mike for winning the tourney and send our condolences to Capcom for being forced to giveaway nearly all profit* they extracted from the travesty that was Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.*For the record, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li made a few million bones, but it was one helluva train wreck. [Photo Credit: Karaface]
I Got Next gives inside look at fighting game tourney scene
If the world of professional Street Fighter-ing is a nebulous mystery to you, it may be time to get a clue from an excellent piece of research material -- indie graphic designer/filmmaker Ian Cofino's recently completed documentary, I Got Next. The feature-length film went live on UFragTV last night, and is expected to be widely released via torrent in the near future. For a bite-sized sampling, check out the trailer above.For a still-harangued-by-student-loans amateur filmmaker, it's a really nice production -- one that gives us insight into the minds of a quarter-circle-punch obsessed populous we've never really bothered to study. Oh, also, it contains the music of The Go! Team, which is scientifically proven to make anything it touches a million times better.
