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Udon handling books for Ace Attorney, Street Fighter, more
Keep an eye on Udon Entertainment if you're looking to expand your gaming-related comic or physical art book collection: the publisher detailed plans for upcoming prints during a panel at Comic-Con San Diego, which involves material from several notable series. Though release dates for this pair were unspecified, art enthusiasts can safely begin anticipating English versions of The Art of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies and Professor Layton Official Fanbook. Gungnir Official Art Chronicle is on its way as well, which celebrates the universe of PSP RPG Gungnir. Udon is continuing work with hardcover editions of the Street Fighter comic series as well, with the publisher describing volume 2 as "almost complete." Alex Culang and Raynato Castro's Katamari comic has been rolled into Udon's Manga Classics line, with a Volume 1 collection coming in December 2014. Also, anyone that's trying to track down a copy of the Street Fighter: World Warrior Encyclopedia can rest easy: Udon will distribute an oversized "special hardcover edition" next year, which will feature new artwork and updated information related to Ultra Street Fighter 4. [Image: Udon]
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist web series sequel in the works
Live-action web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist exhausted the entirety of its first routine on May 23, but Street Fighter fans know how these things go: Round two, fight! Polygon reports that Assassin's Fist's production team will be handling Street Fighter: World Warrior, a followup series announced at San Diego Comic-Con that will introduce series stars Guile, Chun-Li and Sagat, as well as M. Bison's Shadaloo organization. Polygon adds that World Warrior is scheduled to arrive in late 2015 or early 2016, but in the mean time, Assassin's Fist will reach the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand territories in DVD, Blu-ray and on-demand formats on October 28. Physical copies will include behind-the-scenes bonuses, such as director's commentary, a blooper reel and deleted scenes, one of which will reportedly feature the bright pink karate gi-donning joke competitor Dan Hibiki. [Image: Machinima]
Happy 50th birthday, Ryu!
Street Fighter's iconic world warrior Ryu has just hit the big 5-0, a Reddit post pointed out earlier today. Feel free to send him "over the hill" birthday cards and jokey coffee mugs to mark the start of his sixth virtual decade. He'd love that. A red-headed Ryu got his start in 1987's awful arcade brawler Street Fighter, overcoming clunky controls to beat Sagat and claim the title of world champion. Ryu later starred as the default character choice in the moderately more successful Street Fighter 2, and went on to appear in countless sequels, spin-offs, and side-stories alongside his brother-from-another-mother Ken. Happy 50th, Ryu! Here's hoping you're still punching that waterfall when you're 100. [Image: Capcom / kotogo]
'From Masher to Master' offers Street Fighter crash course
Hoping to attract a few new faces to the growing fighting game community, author Patrick Miller has debuted "From Masher to Master," a simple, easy to understand guide for anyone hoping to pick up the basics of Street Fighter. The 131-page tome, which can be downloaded at no charge from Shoryuken, features strategic basics, general game theory and a combo primer, alongside screenshots and helpful illustrations. Unlike most Street Fighter guides, Miller does an excellent job avoiding jargon, and where it's necessary, he often includes a sidebar explaining the term's meaning and origins. There's not enough here to earn a completely green player a spot at the next EVO tournament, but Miller presents a solid primer on how to go from bewildered to passably competent. Once you've absorbed his book, Miller also offers advice on where to go from there. The final page of "From Masher To Master" includes a handy list of articles, books and YouTube videos designed to improve high-level Street Fighter play - a handy inclusion for those who burn through Miller's book in an afternoon. [Image: Capcom]
Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono leaves Capcom Vancouver [update]
In a surprising move, Yoshinori Ono, a longtime Capcom fixture best known for his work as producer of the Street Fighter 4 line of fighting games, has announced his departure from Capcom Vancouver. "I resigned from the director position about Capcom Vancouver. Thanks good staff of Capcom Vancouver, and Dead Rising staff," Ono tweeted earlier today. "I had take some time, I think over very carefully about next things. I'd like to watch TV for Brazil World Cup before thinking it!" he later added. Though he plainly states that he's left Capcom Vancouver, it's unclear what future Ono might have in Capcom's larger corporate umbrella. As EventHubs points out, Ono was promoted to the rank of corporate officer at Capcom Japan in April, and as far as anyone knows, he has not resigned from that role. We've attempted to pry more information from Capcom itself, though the company offered only a boilerplate "no comment." Update: Yoshinori Ono has offered further clarification on his future plans via Twitter. "My position within Capcom has not changed and I'm still involved in all of the projects that I'm currently working on," Ono stated, before adding, "Only my role for Capcom Vancouver has ended."
Take one last look at Ultra Street Fighter 4 before it hits the streets
Ultra Street Fighter 4 makes its digital debut today on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, making this the perfect time to recap the bounty of additions and alterations Capcom has baked into its latest incarnation of the fan-favorite Street Fighter 4. [Image: Capcom]
Watch live-action Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist in full
As promised, the surprisingly competent, live-action Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist web series is now available in its entirety for your viewing pleasure. Simply click 'Play' on the above video, and let the Machinima playlist do the rest. Written and directed by Joey Ansah (who also plays the role of Akuma), Assassin's Fist focuses on the early days of Street Fighter mainstays Ryu and Ken. Though perhaps not intentional, this is a clever storytelling decision that allows Ansah to focus on a key piece of the Street Fighter mythos without having to find some convoluted way to include the rest of the series' cast. It also removes the need to film in numerous locations, a feat the crowdfunded web series likely couldn't afford. That said, we wish Zangief had somehow found his way into these videos. To date the Russian wrestler's only live-action appearance has been in the 1994 Hollywood adaptation of Street Fighter, where he was among the most embarrassing sights in an exceedingly cynical attempt at cashing in on the popularity of Capcom's flagship fighter. After a life of wrestling bears in the Siberian wastes the big fella deserves a bit more respect. [Image: Machinima]
Ultra Street Fighter 4 has four (ultra) release dates [update: new trailer, screens]
Ultra Street Fighter 4, the fourth edition of Capcom's Street Fighter 4, will enter the ring June 3, when the digital upgrade version becomes available on PlayStation 3 via the PSN, Capcom has informed us. Xbox 360 owners will get their chance to try out the five fighters new to the Street Fighter 4 engine - Poison, Hugo, Elena, Rolento and Decapre - the following day, June 4. The upgrade will cost $15, but note that to get this version, you'll need to already own either Super Street Fighter 4 or Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition. A retail release which does not require players to own a previous version of Street Fighter 4, will be available for both PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 5 and will cost $40. There will also be a full digital release that also costs $40 launching the same day on PS3. Lastly, our dear friend Personal Computer (you can just call him PC) gets the game on August 8. His patience doesn't go unrewarded however: The full digital release for PC is $30. Capcom also announced that a pre-order program which nets players five costumes, one for each of the new cast, will start today. So if you want to see Jungle Elena, Medieval Hugo, Pirate Poison, Wizard Rolento and Gladiator Decapre, you'll need to plunk down some cash early. And that wraps up all the Ultra Street Fighter 4 release dates and versions! Ultra easy to keep track of, right? [Image: Capcom]
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]
Live-action Street Fighter web series enters the ring in May
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, the live-action web series adaptation of Capcom's Street Fighter games, will be punching up your computer, tablet, smartphone and anything else that can connect to Machinima's YouTube channel next month. Two new trailers for the series popped up this month, highlighting fighters Ken and Ryu. If you're unfamiliar with Assassin's Fist, this is the fan-made, Kickstarter-funded follow-up to the viral Street Fighter: Legacy short that made its way around the Internet four years ago. The series, while not produced by Capcom, has been given the company's official blessing. We believe the conversation may have gone like this: "Hey, can we make a live-action series based on Street Fighter?" "SUUURE-YOU-CAN!" [Image: Machinima]
Virgin Gaming adds Super Street Fighter 4 to real cash competition slate
Virgin Gaming members can now earn actual money in Super Street Fighter 4 matches, thanks to a new agreement between Virgin and Street Fighter developer Capcom. "Unlike before, when money would go straight into the arcade machine, Virgin's platform puts the money in the winning player's hands! Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players can participate in one-on-one matches with another player, or join a league of up to 32 other SSFIV players and compete for cash," stated Virgin's announcement. Currently, those cash competitions are restricted to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 incarnations of Super Street Fighter 4, and there is no word on when or if the PC version of the game will be added to the Virgin Gaming roster. Full details on how to join Virgin Gaming and take part in the service's pay-to-play tournaments and one-off matches can be found on the Virgin Gaming website. [Image: Capcom]
First impressions of Archeblade
Archeblade is a new action-based, arena-based, multiplayer game by Codebrush games. I've been told that fans who enjoy fighting games like Street Fighter or MOBAs should enjoy this title. Even though I'm not a huge fan of these genres, I enjoyed the game more than I thought I would, but what it offers is not that surprising or unique. Players will find mostly standard gameplay in Archeblade. There are a dozen or more characters to choose from, each one offering a unique way to play inside the sometimes claustrophobic maps. Each character has a basic attack on his left mouse button and special attack on his right and will build up rage as he fights and take damage. Once the rage meter fills up, a special attack can be released; the special attacks range from valuable heals to damage buffs. And as is often the case in MOBA-styled games, the large number of character types does not stop the usual character roles from being featured. Players can choose to melee, assassinate, or kill from a range.
Vega, Chun Li figurines ready for pre-order from Tsume-Art
Ultra Street Fighter 4 will stoke the flames of rivalries in June, but perfecting frame-perfect combos isn't the only way to appreciate the newest entry to the Street Fighter series. Actually, you don't even need to have played SF4 to appreciate these - Tsume-Art's Chun Li and Vega figurines should work just fine for any Street Fighter fan. While Tsume-Art notes that fans should expect "full availability" of both figurines in the second quarter of 2014, you can put your quarter up to claim your place in line right now. Each figurine is 1/8 scale, leaving the tribute to Vega's wall-climbing tendencies at 35 centimeters and Chun Li's soaring kick at 28 centimeters. Both are sculpted from PVC and are available for preorder at €119.90 each ($162). They're pricey, no doubt, but both fighters make a great first impression. If we bought both, we could probably reenact the dozens of times Vega taunted us from the walls of SF2 ... right before he slaughtered us in midair.
Mystery female pugilist teased for Ultra Street Fighter 4 roster
When Rolento, Elena, Hugo and Poison headline the Ultra Street Fighter 4 cast, they'll be joined by a fifth, mystery combatant. We know nothing about this character, though thanks to producer Yoshinori Ono, we can at least now confirm her gender. During the recent Capcom Cup fighting game tournament, Ono fielded questions about the new combatants, quickly denying awesome possibilities like bosomy luchador R. Mika and Mike "Mayor of Earth" Haggar. Also posited was the idea that Retsu, the deadly assassin from the original Street Fighter make might a return - canonically the bald guy is pretty crucial to the Street Fighter storyline, despite missing nearly two decades of games - but all of these ideas were categorically denied by Ono. Instead the mischievious producer offers one single iota of information: The newest fighter will be of the distaff persuasion. This could be a new fighter, or it could be an old favorite - the series' roster has plenty of room for either - but it looks like we won't know more until Capcom decides to unofficially unveil its latest female pugilist.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 knocks out new Super, Ultra combos
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is going to solve a lot of disputes with more than just fightin' words in 2014, but in the meantime, Capcom Unity has highlighted a few videos that showcase new Ultra and Super combos. Poison, Hugo, Elena and Rolento (shown above) take turns pummeling foes in the clips, presumably for completely justifiable reasons. The four characters are new additions to the Street Fighter 4 series, but they've made various appearances in previous Street Fighter games and, with the exception of Elena, in the Final Fight series. All four appeared in Street Fighter X Tekken, but the fifth, yet-to-be-announced character joining the cast of Ultra will make their Street Fighter debut.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 arcade testing kicks off in two weeks
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is scheduled to hit arcades in the early part of 2014, but first the game needs to be tested. This is where Capcom hopes you come in. Starting on November 29, the company will be testing Ultra Street Fighter 4 at Super Arcade in Walnut, California. From December 6 through 8, players in Pennsylvania will find Ultra Street Fighter 4 at Big E Gaming in Essington. After those tests, it's strictly tournament appearances for the fighter: Ultra Street Fighter 4 hits the annual Capcom Cup tournament on December 14, then jumps the Pacific to appear at Singapore's Tough Cookie Gaming Café on December 20. Full location test details can be found on Capcom Unity. If you can't make it to any of these locations, the good news is that you probably won't miss much. Given the amount of anticipation for anything related to Capcom's most famous fighting franchise, it seems assured that as soon as the location tests start up, we'll see those fortunate enough to play the game flood the 'net with in-depth info on Ultra Street Fighter 4.
Viral 'Hadouken Cabs' video splices Street Fighter with PlayStation 4
A viral video for something called Hadouken Cabs, a fictional taxi service we totally wish was a real thing, has made its way onto the internet today. The video blatantly calls out Street Fighter and, at the end, offers a brief glimpse of the PS4's DualShock 4 controller and Sony's promotional hashtag, #4thePlayers. Let's break the video down: The phone number provided for the Hadouken Cabs service translates to August 30, 1987, the launch date for the original Street Fighter. There's also a placeholder website briefly teased in a background shot - if you go to the site and press the "talk to an operator" button, you'll get this audio clip. The clip mentions all lines are busy and plays a few sound bites from the Street Fighter series before devolving into a battle against Zangief, who seemingly broke into the Hadouken Cabs office looking to scrap. What does all mean? Right now both Capcom and Sony aren't talking, but we hope that'll change soon enough.
New dogs learn old tricks in Ultra Street Fighter 4
The Street Fighter 3 pugilists invading Ultra Street Fighter 4 won't be mere visual callbacks to the earlier game, they'll also come equipped with fan-favorite attacks. In a Capcom Unity blog post, producer Tomoaki Ayano details the returning fighters' signature attacks. Rolento leaps into the air before throwing knives, Poison whips a pink projectile, Hugo crushes opponents in his massive, Andre the Giant-inspired hands and Elena extends a leg to kick her foe's head off. If you've spent any amount of time with the later Street Fighter 3 iterations, these attacks will be immediately familiar, and it should please players to see them return in Ultra Street Fighter 4. As Ayano points out, the moves he outlines are subject to change over the next few months, but it seems unlikely that they'll entirely disappear. The attacks Ayano outlines are iconic in the minds of Street Fighter fans, and if there's one group Capcom would hate to upset, it's the virtual fighting community.
For the truth about Street Fighter 2, ask director Akira Nishitani
Akira Nishitani recently started a Twitter account, though instead of heavily-filtered brunch photos and duck-faced mirror portraits, the Street Fighter 2 director has been doling out little-known details on the seminal fighter's creation. For instance, did you know that the periodic red hadoukens in Street Fighter 2 were not glitches, but instead easter eggs that became wildly popular among fans? Or that each pugilist was originally supposed to feature positional damaging - kicking someone in the head would do more damage than kicking them in the leg - but that the feature was cut because the game just refused to recognize hitboxes properly? My favorite bit of trivia is the controversy over Chun Li's leggings. The development team was okay with Chun Li's borderline-equine thighs, but the tights covering them were a massive point of contention. According to Nishitani, they had to be redrawn from scratch three times before Capcom finally agreed to the outfit. More insider information on the creation of the world's most influential fighting game can be found on Akira Nishitani's Twitter account. If you don't read Japanese however, Eventhubs offers an extensive roundup.
Ultra Street Fighter 4 arrives April 2014, says Japanese arcade
Capcom's next iteration of Street Fighter 4 will make its debut in April of next year, assuming the claims of a Japanese arcade are to be believed. Located in the Kagoshima prefecture, Amusement Game Liberty is a largely typical Japanese arcade - not the sort of place in the habit of breaking gaming news. Yet, a recent tweet from the arcade claims that it will feature Ultra Street Fighter 4 as soon as April 2014. The tweet also notes that Capcom is charging arcade operators ¥30 (about $0.31) per play, which will likely force Amusement Game Liberty to charge players ¥100 (about $1) for each game. There is still no word on when Ultra Street Fighter 4 might see American shores, nor any official sources willing to corroborate the arcade's tweet. We contacted Capcom for more, and were told that the company was currently unwilling to attach a solid release date to the fighter.
