All of these conventions lately usually contain at least a little bit of people cosplaying as their favorite game characters or anime characters, especially at the Anime Expo. But Comic Con can be seen as the next biggest cosplay convention around, minus those focused on that sort of thing.
Capcom is encouraging those in attendance to dress up as their favorite Resident Evil character however, because if you do so and also visit either their panel or their booth then you will be able to receive exclusive promotions and discounts at the Capcom Store. This promotion will only run on Friday July 21st in what Capcom is calling Resident Evil day. It’ll be interesting if they take a tally and see how many Leons and Weskers will end up showing up.
Game Name:Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Platform(s): Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PC, PS3 Publisher(s):Capcom Developer(s):Capcom Genre(s): Fighting Release Date: June 28, 2011 (Xbox 360, PS3) July 5th, 2011 (PC) Price: $39.99 (Disc) $14.99 (PS3) or 1200 Microsoft Points (Xbox 360) (DLC) BUY NOW!
Two years ago, Capcom revived not only the Street Fighter franchise, but also the entire fighting game genre as a whole with the release of Street Fighter IV. With a jam packed roster of old and new characters, brand new battle mechanics, and a whole new coat of paint, the sequel went on to redefine the genre for this generation. After an upgraded version released a year later (that being Super Street Fighter IV), fans had yet another reason to rejoice as even more characters and content were added in to help push this sequel into further glory. Fast forward to today and we now have yet another upgrade of sorts in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition which brings the roster up to 39 and fixes some balancing issues of the past. The question now is if this new version is worth the upgrade or simply a quick cash-in to breathe further life into the franchise. So what’s the answer? Here is my review for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.
Gameplay
As far as Street Fighter games go, the main objective has always been to quickly execute as much damage on an opposing foe while stacking up combos along the way. This still stands true for Arcade Edition, but now Capcom have added some very noticeable balance corrections to essentially make the roster a bit more well rounded as a whole for the competitive scene. I really can’t say I have ever played the game on a competitive level, but those of you who spend your days crouched over a fight stick to dominate the online leaderboards, this is your love letter from Capcom as many minor issues have now been addressed.
The first big change that should be noticeable to many is revised balancing for animation frames and hit box detection. This allows for certain characters to have a quicker recovery time as well as special moves that can be executed at a faster (or slower) rate. The casual SSFIV fan will probably not pay too much attention to the changes, but those who are a part of the heavily competitive scene are sure to enjoy the tweaks as those small windows of animation can play a huge role into deciding a victor.
Now if you have by chance never tried the fourth entry into the Street Fighter series or Super Street Fighter IV, the first thing that you should be aware of is the actual way the game plays as a whole as I am sure the previous statement of hit boxes and recovery time went right over your head. To get you better introduced, let’s go over the many modes that can be found in the game.
FIGHT!!
I would imagine that anyone who is reading this review has played a fighting game in the past, and as I mentioned earlier, the core element to SFIV is simply to defeat the opponent presented in a timely fashion while trying to avoid attacks and pull as many damage-inducing combos as possible along the way. While Super Street Fighter IV is known for it’s competitive scene, it is still easy enough to pick up and play for anyone who craves some quick action, which may be why this fighter is the most prominent among this generation’s offerings for the genre.
Each character have their own distinct feel and move-set in the game, and with 39 different characters, this can allow for quite a bit of time spent simply learning how to control each one and master their many techniques. Every fighter either specializes in ranged attacks or close combat, with differences in speed and power depending on who you actually pick. Punching, kicking, and blocking make up the core fighting experience, but to add in a bit of flare, special moves are also available to provide a bit of extra damage over a standard attack. To pull off one of these techniques, the player must quickly enter a combination of button inputs on the controller and if successful, their character will pull off a Hadouken, Spinning Bird Kick, or whatever special attack their particular character has in their arsenal. It’s a rather simple system, but there is a lot of strategy buried underneath.
Combos are the most important part of a battle, where a player can chain together standard and special techniques to consistently dish out damage on a foe. In my opinion, a fight-pad or stick works much better for combos, as a quick and steady hand is needed to efficiently pull off what could be a devastating chain and the standard controller (at least for the Xbox 360) does not offer the most comfortable experience when it comes to button mashing on a d-pad. Two meters can also be found on the lower portion of the screen, which offer a reward of pulling off a “Super” or “Ultra” combo after being filled. Both of these increased attacks can instantly change the tide of battle and leave the opponent either KO’d or at a critical point of health. Due to the power behind these combos, the whole animation sequence that follows, and the challenge of actually building up the combo meter, executing a Super or Ultra attack is one of the most rewarding elements in battle within SSFIV and leaves many fights ending with a memorable climax.
Arcade
If you have played any Street Fighter title, Arcade mode has always been a staple for the series. In Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, players start out by picking one of the 39 characters, watch a brief cutscene, and then go straight into battle. Each character comes with his or her own story, and while these stories told don’t include much depth, they do offer a bit of background for each fighter’s motive to fight, whether it be for domination, revenge, or a simple quest to be the best.
One thing that I have always loved about the Street Fighter series’ roster is that Capcom have allowed for a bit of imagination and mystique to surround each character, where you are playing a personality that you actually want to learn more about. Each character’s personality is also prominently displayed with taunts, intros, and a bit of voicework while fighting, so it isn’t too hard to pick out a favorite almost instantly from the jam-packed roster.
Arcade mode really boils down to defeating opponents one by one in a ladder-style tournament with the challenge increasing steadily as you progress. Throw in a few mini-games along the way and you have a mode that can easily be repeated for a great number of times due to the different line-ups and plots found for each fighter within the game.
Versus
As it sounds, Versus mode allows for one player to either fight a human or computer player in a standard match-up. Players can also put two CPU opponents against eachother and watch the results (which can actually be rather interesting due to the AI being relatively smart). There is a training mode in the game already, but those who want to brush up on combos against ready opponents or simply challenge a friend may find this mode to be the closest thing to actually inserting quarters in an arcade machine.
Challenge
I don’t think any mode is as important as Challenge Mode. If you are a casual player wanting to learn how to actually pull off chains of combos like the pros, this is your guide and a teacher of sorts for doing just that. Each character have their own set of “Trials”, in which the player must proceed to quickly enter the button combination presented to execute a combo, then move on to the next. The further you go, the greater the challenge. After a while, this mode will have you spurting off combos naturally as it’s purpose is to better improve the player’s skill level.
Sadly, the Arcade Edition of the game is not compatible with this mode and will revert down to that of Super Street Fighter IV, with Yun, Yang, Oni, and Evil Ryu absent from the equation. This is honestly a sad sight to see considering how complex each of the new characters’ movepool is.
Online
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition has nearly the exact same functions as the two previous versions for it’s online mode, but with a new and improved Replay function that allows for players to view some of the world’s best matches with a newly added follow function that can add replays to your channel from a particular player.
Those who don’t want to participate in matches with the Arcade Edition upgrade are in luck as well, as Capcom have implemented a feature that allows for the online function to be downgraded to that of Super Street Fighter IV. I can easily say that the servers are still as populated as ever, and while my win streak is still in the lower single digits, online certainly is where a lot of the true competition can be found and can add an infinite amount of replay value as you try to compete against the thousands of worldwide players.
Graphics/Audio
As far as the upgraded version goes, nothing has changed very much visually for the Arcade Edition, but that doesn’t mean that the graphics have aged at all. The unique and ageless art style can be found throughout every character and model within the game, and each area is heavily detailed with animations that bring life to each backdrop. Even minor details still shine through as well, with facial expressions signifying pain or joy during battle and even hair and clothing blowing in the wind which all tie together to keep this entry in the series from ever becoming graphically dated.
Music hasn’t changed whatsoever either, but honestly it still is as relevant as the graphics though, as the tunes truly give this game it’s edge and keep each fight exciting with the substantial and varied soundtrack. Each character’s voicework is done well and truly brings out a persona, adding even more effort into truly making this large roster a varied one to boot. As I am typing this right now, the main theme from the game is still glued inside my head hours after playing if that is any indication of the high level of quality given to the sound of the game.
Overall
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition is offered in two different formats, one being DLC, and the other being a complete disc release. If you already own Super Street Fighter IV, I would say a download is a must for turning your version into the most definitive experience for the game possible. If you however have never played Street Fighter IV and are pondering on taking the plunge, a disc release of Arcade Edition would be your best bet to get the full experience all at once. In ten years from now, I think Super Street Fighter IV will go down as being one of the most influential fighters in history for a number of reasons, and the new Arcade Edition is now the version to own as it is the most refined and complete of all the offerings on the market and a must have for any Street Fighter fan.
It seems that every time we turn around lately there has been a convention of some sort, and in a couple of weeks one of the larger ones will be taking place. San Diego Comic Con will be happening in a couple of weeks and Twisted Pixel will be in attendance to show off Ms. Splosion man as well as some Gunstringer to those in attendance.
Although they haven’t been able to get any floor time, those in attendance can meet them during the Media Showcase on July 21st as well as at the Hard Rock Hotel in the Xbox Lounge. The full schedule for how long they will be around can be seen below.
Thursday, July 21 – Xbox Media Showcase from 8:00 pm – Midnight
Saturday, July 23 – Xbox Lounge in Hard Rock Hotel from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday, July 24 – Xbox Lounge in Hard Rock Hotel from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
All of you Potter-fans can now rejoice as this week marks the launch of not only the final movie in the series, but also the video-game tie-in from EA. To celebrate this release, EA have revealed a new launch trailer which honestly looks to be cut straight out of the movie.
The past few trailers that we have seen for this title have shown us quite a bit of the cover-based gameplay as well as the way the final battle of Hogwarts will play out. This trailer is a bit different however as it is all CG, with reproductions of scenes that will appear in the actual movie that launches worldwide this Friday. I for one am quite a big Harry Potter fan and while past video game releases have been a bit mixed for the series, it honestly looks that Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 will end with quite an epic climax. Check out the trailer for yourself below and let us know in the comments if you are planning to watch the final film or even pick up this brand new video game entry. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 launches today for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Wii.
Hey, you know that very popular HBO series that just finished airing its season finale a few weeks back, that is also based off of an even more popular book franchise called A Song of Ice and Fire that happens to have its fifth book coming out shortly? Well it is also receiving a video game adaptation.
A Game of Thrones – Genesis has been announced today and is being worked on by Cyanide Studios for the PC. Genesis will be a strategy based game and will be based off of the novels by George R.R. Martin’s series of novels named A Song of Ice and Fire which are some of the best selling high fantasy novels around. The title will be released Summer of this year and the single player campaign was written with the supervision of the author himself, George R.R. Martin. This means that fans of the series won’t find themselves disappointed with the game’s narrative, and can even go up against one another online in eight way conflicts to see who has the power to obtain the Iron Throne.
Over the past few weeks there have been some rumors circulating around that PopCap was going to be bought buy someone in the near future. Many numbers were floating around the internet, including a purchase for over $1 billion but that number is a little exaggerated. Because EA announced today that they have actually purchased PopCap for $750 million as well as $100 million in stocks. As long as the purchase is approved by those it has to go through, the deal will be finished in August.
CEO of EA, John Riccitiello had this to say about their purchase of PopCap: “EA and PopCap are a compelling combination. PopCap’s great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA’s momentum and accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business.” Sounds like there will be some more games coming out through EA’s “exclusive” Origin service in the near future.
Looks like fans dying to experience the next Burnout game won’t have to wait all the way until the Fall after all. EA’s UK website announced today that Burnout Crash! will be released to the PSN and the XBLA in August. This means that players can be jumping to explode with their Kinect or playing it with a standard controller on the PlayStation 3.
Creative Director of the title, Richard Franke says that Burnout Crash “is a crazy mix of pinball and game shows.” Whether or not this will actually end up being the game that Burnout fans would want it to be has yet to be seen, though some still wish that there would be a full game being developed instead of an Arcade version.
Despite the title being announced recently, Game Informer has posted up an exclusive screenshot from the game and have also obtained a little bit of information about the title from developer Arkane Studios. First in the screenshot above you can see that the player is using a sword to attack an enemy that is holding a sword and a gun, meaning that there will possibly be both forms of combat available to the player in the game.
Players will be taking the role of Corvo, a man who was a talented bodyguard who possesses some interesting powers of his own, but has been imprisoned for murdering an Empress that he was meant to protect. The gameplay will center around stealth and combat and be based on assassination tactics. There will be a “chaos” mechanic which will track the player’s style of gameplay, whether they are violent, sneaky, underhanded or like to cause collateral damage and this will affect things behind the scenes. The game certainly sounds very interesting, too bad we won’t have a chance to play it until sometime in 2012.
So far the two DLC packs released for Fallout: New Vegas can be classified into either a horror type category with Dead Money and adventure with Honest Hearts. This time around, Old World Blues looks to fill in the insane and off the wall category in the trailer released for the pack today by Bethesda.
The trailer can be seen below and you better prepare yourself for some robotic scorpions and… larger robotic scorpions. It’s obvious that if the voice work in the DLC is anything like that in the trailer you can expect a very good time with the content when it is released next Tuesday on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $10 across all platforms.
So who’s making their way down to SMASH this weekend ? The Capsule Computers Crew will be there in full force to cover everything we can, from the cos play characters to the beautiful maids in the maid cafe. Oh yeah and of course we’ll be checking out all the cool new anime and manga stuff to. This years show has quite an impressive line up of special guests like Little Kuriboh (Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series), Shinichi ‘Nabeshin’ Watanabe (Excel Saga) and Kenji Ito (Square Enix).
But there’s one more special guest that will be attending this AMAZING event, who you say? Well none other than MasterAbbott from Capsule Computers. MasterAbbott (yes thats me) will be dressed up in some sort of outfit if you can find me and say “SMASH AND CAPSULE COMPUTERS RULE” you’ll win yourelf a cool prize. The amount of winners will depend on how many prizes we can muster up from our own private stash and also what SMASH can provide.
