Recently in Fighting games Category

Soul Calibur V leaves a good first impression, but after putting some time into the game, one discovers that this (mostly) sword-fighting game is not going to earn itself a place in the book of legendary titles.

The latest chapter in the Soul Calibur series begins with a quite impressive opening scene that builds a desire to jump right into the game. Soul Calibur V's story mode is typical for a fighting game. The hero goes through a series of battles until you reaching an
over-the-top end guy. Where Soul Calibur V starts to fall short, however, is in the development of the hero character, Patroklos. He comes off as whiny, ill tempered and it seems as though
he kills innocent people because he believes them to be "malfested." These traits make it
very difficult to get behind the character and root for him to win.

Remember what Yogi Berra said about the feeling of "deja vu all over again?"

Check this out: Capcom released Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds in February. The game appeared in stores after a long wait for a retail MvC release, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: A New of Heroes, came out for the Sega Dreamcast (!) in 2000, with the game later being ported over to other consoles.

But it's Capcom's style to release multiple hard copy versions of the same game, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a November release adding twelve new fighters, eight new stages and at least in this reviewer's experience, an improved online mode. While playing the "Ultimate" version, I didn't have to wait as long to lose.

Tech-Out liked the the first version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for being a game that is for newcomers to pick up and enjoy, but complicated enough for fighting game connoisseurs to appreciate. And of course, the quick, colorful ADD-like gameplay and comic art inspired visuals are also points in Ultimate's favor.

Capcom's practice of releasing multiple versions of the same game is starting to get weird, however. Capcom waited more than a full year between retail versions of Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV and finally, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. But with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, there's only a nine month wait and the game hit stores in the middle of a very competitive holiday release period. Despite its merits, this is a game that could easily be lost in the shuffle.

The recipe for Namco Bandai's Soulcalibur franchise has at least three ingredients:

1. Sword fighting.

2. Female characters with large, uh, attributes.

3. Cheesy narration.

Mix those three together, and you get this:

Two competitors, one from Japan and another from the United States, face off against each other for the final matchup of the world championships at Las Vegas. Both have brought their own weapons to the stage; fighting sticks set in a flat panel studded with buttons and polished with long hours of steady practice and sacrifice.

As the fight begins, they each know that only one of them will walk away as the victor. That night, all of their hard work will be put to the test in the space of only a few minutes.

Another Evo2K has come and gone, but it was also one of the most exciting bouts ever to tear across the 'net with plenty of anguish-filled defeats and thrilling comebacks. To those that only see a bunch of guys playing video games, one look at the videos being broadcast live from the Rio in Las Vegas filled with thousands of cheers and jeers easily demonstrate that those that have come to watch are as every bit as passionate as any other fan.

Fighting games have undergone a stunning revival in the last few years with Street Fighter IV, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Mortal Kombat setting the pace. And thanks to today's high-tech arena and years of effort in getting that ever so valuable netcode just right, players have turned the globe into their own personal arcade, pitting their skills against each other as they used to years ago when spots were reserved by placing your token on the cabinet.

And at Evo2K this year, the crowd has only gotten larger and the excitement even more infectious. I don't even play fighting games, but in watching players from every walk of life take part (anyone can sign up and play, even an eight year old named Noah who lit the screen up with incredible skill), I couldn't help but cheer for my share of underdogs and sit in stunned disbelief when Japan's Daigo "the Beast" Umehara was knocked out into fourth place by Korea's own superchamp, Poongko, otherwise known as "the Machine".

Watching these pros move their characters across the screen was like watching a ballet of sight and sound with every move, dodge, block, and feint as both players tried to read into what their opponent would do next. Some wore poker faces, others brought their own music to block out the world, and one or two would even do a little dance with their fists in the air or their body moving to the motion of their character onscreen. Some would bury their faces in their hands after losing a round. Others would just walk as quickly as possible from the stage in bitter disappointment.

The final fight for the Street Fighter IV crown went to Japan's Fuudo who defeated Brokentier Latif (Brokentier is the team that Latif plays for), who had himself defeated Poongko in another stunning upset. Though Street Fighter was a huge focus for many, Evo2K had also held contests for Mortal Kombat, Blazblue, and Tekken 6 to crown the champs for each of those as well.

It wasn't all fighting games, either. Panels were also held over the three days of Evo2K's action, Namco Bandai had also shown off a little Soul Calibur 5 action to the crowd, and a few screeners were also present to help the crowd decompress. Capcom's Seth Killian had also come down to help with the great commentary from the Evo2K crew, but in the end it was clear that the winners were not only those that flew thousands of miles to be there, but everyone who could be a part of it either by being in the crowd or watching it online.

It's one thing to think of video games as "pushing buttons and sticks" to do stuff onscreen. But when events like these can level the playing field and invite anyone to join in where even an eight year old with enough skills can get the crowd behind him, it's even harder to turn as much of a blind eye to that kind of awesome.

If you're interested in reading up more on Evo2K and the fighting game circuit in general, you can hit up their official site along with Shoryuken which has all the latest including pics such as those above.

"Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" is a solid choice for gamers looking for a quick burst of superhero-inspired energy. Although many players, this reviewer included, have grown to appreciate the increasingly ambitious storytelling efforts made by the people behind such franchises as Fallout and Red Dead Redemption, Capcom's latest offering is a refreshing reminder that video games are still games.

The new game's premise could not be simpler: A lot of people like fighting games, and a lot of people like Marvel Comics. Progressing through the game's arcade mode eventually takes players to a battle to save the earth from Galactus, Marvel's planet-consuming threat with a big purple helmet. How you get there doesn't really make sense in terms of any of comic book continuity - assuming such a thing exists - considering that players can choose among sworn enemies for their three-character teams. But who cares? The point in MvC 3 isn't to tell a story, but to be a wacky fighting game.

MvC 3 succeeds as a game that's easy for just about any player to pick up and almost immediately execute ridiculous combos. I have not yet tried the simple mode, which makes special moves as simple as a single button push, but the basics are not difficult to learn. As far as control schemes go, there is little difference between the game's 36 characters. If you can make Street Fighter's Ryu perform his signature hadouken move, you can make Marvel's Deadpool unleash a duel-pistol attack.

Step right up, get your EA Games for $.99 for your iPhone, Ipod touch and the iPad. In time for Valentines Day, EA Games announced that they'll drop the price of nearly 30 games games for 48 hours, starting on February 7. Now, I know it's the 8th but hey, you've got a 10 hours from the time this goes up. So.....hurry, hurry, hurry!!!

Game titles are listed after the jump.

If ridiculousness is a virtue, the designers behind "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" are video game saints.

The game, its full title is "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" appears to be based on the belief that wackier is better. Capcom's "Super Street Fighter IV" wasn't exactly an exercise in subtlety, but to play MvC3 is to play an electronic equivalent of a caffeine rush.

Remember Jolt Cola? This game is like a six-pack of the stuff, so this writer is going to crack open an imaginary bottle and get to work.

Details after the jump: