Two weekends ago on June 18 and 19, I attended the 10th Philippine Toys, Hobbies, and Collectibles Convention. It was an exhilarating experience, chalk full of fellow hobbyists and like minded individuals who share the passion of collecting and gathered to trade and showoff their collections to one another. Cosplaying was the other main highlight of the show, and for both days I went on ahead and took on the challenge of cosplaying as my childhood comic book hero - Batman. To say that the "Goddamn Batman" attended both days by himself and alongside the Justice League is an achievement on its own, and I had loads of fun checking out toys, comics, games, and other goodies while I scurried around three halls as the Caped Crusader.
Finally, after months of waiting and playing new characters and balancing changes in the arcades, the Arcade Edition of one of my favorite fighting games out there finally comes home. Here's the trailer below to prove the point, and an article by Kotaku promoting the news!
Street Fighter and Capcom fighting game blogsites have posted new details and endings for both Oni and Evil Ryu, who have since been unlocked and playable in Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition! You can view just how they look like and what their ultras are via You Tube. 
It appears that Capcom hasn't been pulling any punches in regards to adding new content for their impending arcade release of Super Street Fighter IV! Their official site has released a new trailer, and it showcases not only the previously announced Yun and Yang, but a tease of two new fighters who are no strangers to long time fans of the series - Oni Akuma (or Shin Akuma) and Evil Ryu! This big update has also been posted on Event Hubs, so check out the trailer and see for yourselves! The game will be released sometime this month at arcades in Japan!Super Street Fighter IV is getting new releases in two different platforms. One is the franchise's original home, the arcades, and the game's going to get new tweaks and characters added to its roster in the form of Yun and Yang. The other platform is the Nintendo 3DS, the new portable gaming system Nintendo is gearing for release early next year. From the trailers and screenshots released, the port looks a lot faithful to its console counterpart, with its graphics understandably scaled down to compensate for the 3DS' requirements.
However, more pressing and slightly disappointing news appears via way of Kotaku. It appears that Capcom will be giving SSFIV 3DS access to 4 hotkey slots that players can assign moves and special moves to, allowing players to dish out punishment at the press of a button. While it may sound like good news that a simplified way has come to play Street Fighter, I'm not one of those favoring this mechanic being implemented. The game of Street Fighter has always been about challenging oneself and mastering moves and combos in order to improve one's skills. This eliminates any challenge from the equation, and practically makes the game "easy mode" on the go. Fine that beginners get this option to make it easier for them, but it won't teach them how the game is played properly. You play the game the only way it should be played - either with a controller or arcade stick, and the video below demonstrates how those tried and true rules apply to skilled veterans.
Super Street Fighter IV Producer Yoshinori Ono is quite the tease. Not only has he been updating his Twitter account constantly with updates concerning the arcade release of Super Street Fighter IV, but he's also been showing off picture progress, and the latest one all but officially confirms the appearance of another SFIII veteran making his debut in the newest Capcom brawler! Who am I talking about, why none other than Hong Kong born fighter Yun of course! Check out the pic released by Ono-San and the folks from Fighter's Generation!
Ah Ono-San, you're a real teaser.XD Who knows what Yun's Ultra move will be? Also, now that he's here, can we expect his brother Yang to follow as well? Stay tuned for more updates!
As detailed in Kotaku's post, The EVO 2009 Street Fighter IV champ has retained his status as top player of all things Street Fighter, winning the EVO 2010 Super Street Fighter IV Finals to become champion again, and he deserves a well round of applause! Kudos to you, Daigo! I still can't get over the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike "Parry Comeback" you did in EVO 2004!
That's right, Capcom is actually releasing SSFIV for the 3DS! Capcom Unity spilled the news, and upon reading the article, I was utterly shocked with disbelief. The iPhone already has a port of SFIV on the way, and now SSFIV comes to the 3DS?! Where's the PSP love these days? I'm still on the market for a 3DS, sure, but I'm surprised that Capcom went for that instead of Sony's portable device, which I think was built well to play most, if not all fighting games. Probably we'll be seeing a PSP version eventually (I hope), but this is still surprising news, and the game is tentatively called "Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition". I guess the SF IV series finally made it to a Nintendo platform, and if that's supposed to be initiative for me to grab the 3DS, by all means I will! In the meantime, visit Capcom Unity's post for more info and screens!
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition is under development and the release date is TBA.
For a game that was originally meant to be an update, Super Street Fighter IV sure feels like the sequel fighting game fans have dreamed of and can consider a worthy successor to last year's Street Fighter IV. It comes packing with improvements, extras, additional characters, and even bonus stages, which makes it more than just a mere upgrade title, expanding the methods of play to undetermined numbers. The "SUPER" added in front isn't just for show. It's a statement that boasts perfection and gives credence to how superb this fighter really is in the gaming market today. Ten new challengers enter the fray with a lot of moves to dish out and punish opponents with, while the returning fighters show that they got a boost up or have been nerfed down for "understandable reasons" other than nutty poke jobs. Highlighting the new faces are Hakan and Juri, two new characters making their debut in SSFIV and showcasing interesting fighting styles, namely Turkish Oil Wrestling and Taekwondo respectively. The other eight are familiar faces from the series' history making their official jump to the 2.5D realm. Cody, Guy, and Adon return from the Alpha/ Zero series; Dudley, Makoto, and Ibuki charge straight out of the Street Fighter III universe; and T.Hawk and Dee Jay make their long awaited debut, finally reuniting with their SSFII comrades. That brings the tally for the entire roster to 35 characters, and that's quite a mouthful, especially when the variety adds a new dynamic to the already interesting brawl 'em up that Super Street Fighter IV is.
For $40 and packing quite a punch, Super Street Fighter IV is more than just an upgrade... it's a knock out hit that only Capcom could have presented and delivered to its fighting game market base. Anybody who adores the series or has a passion for fighting games such as myself should consider picking this one up. It'll make you leap off your seat and feel the burn, especially when you see Ryu deliver his swift new ultra, the Metsu Shoryuken, right to your opponent's face!
And so it begins... The Return Of The King Of American Video Game Magazines!
In the eve of E3 2009, EGM writer and founder Steve Harris acquired the rights to publish EGM anew for both online and print mediums. The relaunch would occur sometime before or after the new year, and as part of the promotions, the "Lost" EGM issue, originally dated for a February 2009 release, was released online and appeared in the restructured website, EGMnow.com. Through the website, people can register and subscribe to EGMi - the digital magazine companion to the print medium we gamers all know and love. EGMi features exclusive content like video interviews and live page browsing that can only be experienced when you sign up.
I picked up my copy of the "New and Improved" EGM just today, and I must say, it feels good to be back reading a printed international magazine devoted entirely to gaming again. It's fitting that for the relaunch itself, the new issue focuses on Street Fighter once again, specifically on "The Street Fighter Legacy" and its impact on the fighting game industry, not to mention the latest installment in the series released by Capcom - "Super Street Fighter IV". In fact, the "Zombie Issue" sports two covers featuring SF stalwarts Ryu and Ken, and for this reunion, I picked the man with the headband just for the occasion. In addition to the emphasis on SF, the issue also includes a look back at EGM's past; An exclusive interview with God Of War/ Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe; And an inside look on games that were hyped and anticipated by many, like the recently released Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake. There's also some features and commentaries by many of the top writers and players in the gaming industry today, including content contributed by new guys like Marc Bozon (former IGN Editor), and by EGM veterans like Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Ryan O'Donnell, and... Sushi X!!! Of course, that means that we can't forget about the reviews... they're back as well! They're all present here again, with the numbering system and good, bad, and ugly commentary intact. As part of the synchronization process, the magazine comes with a unique "iPASS" code that brings on more exclusive content when you log in online and sign up!
After months of anticipation, disbelief, and excitement, Super Street Fighter IV has finally arrived for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, much to my delight and satisfaction! This game is still set to launch tomorrow in the U.S, but as luck would have it, us fans here in Asia get to enjoy the game a day early! As one of the must have titles on my list, I'm practically swooning over my latest purchase right now, and the fighter in me couldn't be any happier. I've been waiting for this baby for a long time... and now it's here at the palm of my hand! Plus, I didn't just grab the regular edition of the game, I got the Collector's Package! It's a wonderful treat and a true testament to the game's worth, since it includes extras the regular SF fan will definitely enjoy next to the game itself!
Packed with a copy of the game is a sweet looking character artbook, featuring the promotional images and illustrations of each of the 35 characters appearing in this update! Those who enjoy the brush art style the game exhibits will definitely like what they see, and it's all compiled into one mini booklet full of goodness!
What's more, the slip case with Ryu's mugshot on it is a two disc set piece - containing a Character Sound Collection Disc and a Promotional Video Disc. It's basically the game's soundtrack and commercials, so if you enjoy listening and viewing some of these extra, then Capcom has compiled together the perfect treats for you!
Finally, the game itself! Being a R3 Asian copy of the game, this official release of SSFIV gives players the standard game packed together with an instructional manual for reference. Anybody who sees the game's boxart will notice it's the North American design, but players have a choice over this matter, as they can simply flip the flyer in reverse and switch it to the Boxart design of the Japanese release of the game! It's a real treat, and one I definitely enjoy as it gives me free reign over what cover art I want to see. Also, anybody with a Asian PSN account will get a Downloadable Content voucher that allows them to access new alternate costume packs that can be used in the game, namely for specific characters like Gen and Guile.
