This Zangief-sized offering contains games, music, art, video… just about every medium you can think of, all dedicated to this classic series and its devoted fans. For $149.99 (on either Xbox 360 or PS3), you get:

Games

-Street Fighter X Tekken (including all character and Swap Costume DLC)

-Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (with all costume DLC)

-Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

-Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition

Video

-New documentary Blu-ray that highlights the lifelong love affair fans have had with Street Fighter, and how their dedication has affected the game.

-Street Fighter IV, Super SFIV anime movies

-All episodes of the Street Fighter animated series (DELICIOUS!)

-Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

Light-up Ryu statue

-Brand new statue with light up base. Eight inches tall and frozen in mid Shoryuken.

11 disc soundtrack

-Game music from the past 25 years, including remixes and fan-created music.

64 page hardcover art book

-Containing pieces from fans all over the world.

Ryu’s belt

-Full size martial arts black belt for the aspiring World Warrior. Includes Ryu’s “Furinkazan” in kanji.

Certificate of Authenticity

-Like any good collector’s set, this comes with a lovely piece of paper telling you how limited and special it is. They’re all individually numbered, so get one before they disappear! Arrives on September 18.

Even though the in-game graphics for the time were indeed better than many other games back in 2001, facial animation and other animation techniques that we now take for granted weren’t quite as advanced as they are now, and in order to get that edge, the truly striking parts of the game were saved for these moments of comic noir to drive the story forward in ways that Max’s is-or-isn’t-it Christian Slater/Mark Wahlberg face just couldn’t convey.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne raised the bar a bit for the sequel, and with the increased budget came much better in-game graphics. Textures, animation and physics were much more detailed and realistic, and the effect was more tangible during gameplay—many of the game’s in game cutscenes were staged and plotted better as well. Despite Remedy’s efforts towards raising the bar in terms of in-game storytelling, many of the game’s more cinematic moments were once again restricted to the noir-style panels, which received an upgrade of their own. Real actors were hired in place of the development team stand-ins, giving the game a more cohesive look when moving between story and gameplay, and his tale, heavier on the drama while backpedaling on the cheese hooked gamers to their seats, even if the experience was shorter than the original. Many (including myself) appreciated the tighter focus on story over game length, and while reception was divisive, it was almost universally agreed that it surpassed the original. If the first Max Payne was a game that periodically reminded you of its story, the sequel was a story that frequently had to remind you it was also a game.

The limitations of the time still rang true in other ways however, and for all of the innovations I mentioned above concerning the first two titles in the series, in order to indulge its yarn, all of the game’s cutscenes and level transitions were broken up by loading screens and stylish splash screens hinting at the story ahead.

Enter Max Payne 3, a seamless mixture of cinematics and gameplay that blurs the line so well, you won’t know when to put the controller down.

Something, eh? As you can see, Max Payne 3 does away with the somewhat disjointed rhythm of its (and many other shooters) past by refusing to halt the action, hiding the load times behind the game’s real time cinematics, and providing a seamless experience that transitions from scene to gameplay, and back again with nary a hitch. It’s definitely one thing to read in concept, but to see it in action is something so subtle that you as a player may end up taking it for granted. Whether interrupting a gunfight for that final stylish kill, or setting the stage for one of Max’s many introspective moments, the onscreen action never halts for a moment, meaning the static comic-style panels have taken a leave of absence for this installment. Instead, they’ve been replaced with a plethora of visual and auditory effects that immediately bring movies like Snatch and Man on Fire to mind.

Owing less to classic film noir this time around and more with the up to date action melodramas of today, it’s clear the game hasn’t fallen behind in style or substance despite it’s 9 year respite. Characters converse through rapidly shifting panels that animate independently of one another, subtitles flash across the screen before being wiped off via transitions, and while the game does occasionally hint to the comic style of yesteryear, it’s fleshed out in a way that only next-generation hardware can pull off. Being an even more interpersonal tale than the last one, Max’s journey from rock bottom having lost everything, to once again finding his purpose in a new setting and being thrown in a situation spinning wildly out of control benefits from this kind of treatment. It’s one thing to show subtitles to illustrate a scene, but to have them flash threateningly on the screen with the same intensity as an emotion, or to have that innate ‘safe’ feeling a gamer gets when viewing a story scene shattered as the camera perfectly aligns itself with Max’s line of sight starting a shootout mid-cutscene, it’s a rush that few games can match.

Max’s world is a seedy and dangerous one filled with interesting characters and situations, and the fact the game’ doesn’t stop for one moment in presenting this to you makes it all the more engaging. Sure, games like Splinter Cell:Conviction did it first by providing mid-mission information and guidelines during gameplay–but the way it’s been integrated into every facet of the experience make this all Rockstar’s own, and another step forward for their unique storytelling style. Is this really tomorrow?

Multiplayer gets the treatment in tomorrow’s installment, and for those who immediately raise their eyebrows at the thought of Max Payne multiplayer, fear not. Rockstar’s got our backs with their most ambitious multiplayer yet!

Max Payne 3 releases May 15, 2011.

In a shooter, these games tend to define the differences in a character’s arsenal over a collection of stats more than anything else. Some fire a bit faster than others, some do more damage, some are slower to aim, but the experience is solely felt at the end of the barrel. Enter Max Payne 3 the first shooter where the experience of firing a pistol feels and handles distinctly from a shotgun, and even more when you consider automatic weapons. When you take into consideration that not only location based damage based on the experience and constitution of your target (shoot a grunt in the leg, he may retreat or fold, where a vet may stomach it or continue his assault deapite) factors in along with the power of said arms?

You’ve got a game where even your chosen load out can drastically alter how you play.

It was something noticeable right away, especially if you’re not looking for it. If there was one thing that stood out more than anything, it was the fact that aiming a pistol felt a tad unwieldy due to it’s light weight, but it was something I dismissed early on and credited to the game’s realistic style. Later picking up and using a shotgun to my surprise was the complete opposite — it’s weight was something to adjust to, and the kick from firing it not only affected my reaction time significantly, but even aiming it felt as heavy and broad as swinging a large gun should.

Sure, Resident Evil 4 did it years prior by giving each weapon a different aiming speed to change your handling; but that that’s just what it was, an adjustment in aiming speed. Moving a shotgun in Max Payne 3 feels less like an aiming speed adjustment and more like swinging a weapon around, compensate for it’s weight and length. This directly affects Max as well, his limbs and body either being weighed down or liberated in terms of movement as he dynamically twists his body to suit your aim no matter what situation he’s in.

It’s truly something to behold in motion, and in terms of gameplay will force experimentation and variety into even the most conditioned and seasoned vets. A marriage of thought between movement as well as weapon power is a choice we haven’t been forced to make before as gamers, and one that will resonate with many come Tuesday.

Next up, we’ll dive headfirst into the presentation, and how RAGE is being utilized in cutscenes and gameplay to bring us the most innovative and cinematic chapter of his tale yet!

Max Payne 3 releases May 15th, 2012.

Penned by Rockstar’s Dan Houser and Remedy’s Sam Lake (writer of the original two), this series promises to “Delve into Max’s troubled past” — and in doing so, the events before and during Max Payne and it’s sequel are being elaborated on, leading up to his currently dilapidated state in Max Payne 3.

Having just read the first issue, I was happy to discover the pulpy noir style of the games is translated note for note, with all of the dark humor and violent action that fans would expect. Fans of the game are more than aware that Max has his demons, but if this chapter is any indication (even dipping it’s feet into his childhood!), none of us know just how deep they actually run. 

If you’re a Payne fan, it’d be downright insane if you missed this. For newcomers, it’s a perfect way to introduce yourself to this tragic, tragic hero.

Max Payne 3 releases May 15, 2012.

Developed by Naughty Dog, The Last Of  Us is a survival horror game that is set a in post apocalyptic world in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. A  father and teenage daughter Joel and Ellie have been fighting for survival in their every day lives for as long as Ellie can remember. Without any recollection of what life was like when times were “normal” and often questioning an imagining such a world, Ellie is a born fighter alongside her hardened father against an extremely nasty viral plague which seems to mutate humans into savage, zombie like people.

Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells stated via Playstation Blog:

“The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind. Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States”

No doubt with all this viral attention, E3 2012 will be filled with anticipation on further details on The Last Of Us and of course we will be here to discuss!

The dream warrior of Elm Street actually has a ton of available tools and unique abilities at his disposal, including both high & low projectiles, one which causes a stun, teleports, stance changes and ground attacks which possess no travel time. Add on to the fact that he outputs a fairly high amount of damage during his combos and the realization sets in quick that Freddy indeed can be a nightmare. No doubt, even with this all these pros, Freddy is still capable of being rendered vulnerable for long bouts of time depending how each player handles him. Due to his short limbs, his attack range isn’t what you’d expect from a dual scissor claw wielder and has to attack fairly closer than most of the cast normally does when using both his arms and legs. Luckily his attacks and high damaging combos aren’t difficult to learn, however understanding each ones usefulness in the midst of battle is an entirely different story. Each of his special attacks are used for single purpose only scenarios which means you will be shifting gears mentally fast and often to control the pace of each round and keep it in Freddy’s favor. This is one character in Mortal Kombat in which you will surely learn more about him in actual combat than you could ever hope to simply in practice mode as he is designed to be cater to the more mentally focused players.

Positioning: Ideally, Freddy can stand to play a majority of the rounds from a medium to far distance since he has so many tools to cater from anywhere on the screen. When a player using Freddy is ready for an attack, most of the set ups around it are build from the long distance first. This allows him to use his slightly overly active Teleport more safely in addition to not being punished too bad for mis judged attack distance on his 3 Hell Spikes.

Offensive Strategy: This character has a natural talent for pestering his opponents with chip damage and small punishes on heavy projectile throwers. Since Freddy needs to get really close to do his more favorable combo’s, more time will be spent dancing around the issue rather than being aggressive. One of the best things about this character is his sneaky ability to gain meter. Using Nightmare Stance does so as well as avoids regular projectiles entirely, has an extremely fast sweep, overhead and launch (anti-air) option and can be canceled immediately by using his teleport Dream Shift while all gaining meter. Using this in addition to his Hell Spike will build meter quick enough to keep a constant psychological threat of his powerful X-ray. (Back +BK+BK) is a quick and useful low attack distraction form the fact that most of his arsenal are high and mid attacks. Use this when players block high often or train them to block low to land his overhead (Back+ BP+BK) Both of these are great for corner pressure as they result in knockdowns.

Defensive Strategy: Mr. Krueger does NOT deal with cross-ups or pressure very well. In most scenarios when on the receiving end of cross ups and block strings, it’s best to either block all the way through or look for an opening to jump out with Back Kick but never teleport at he easily has the worst and most active teleport in the game. Users should always maintain their distance with Freddy until the close up battles occur on their own terms which are preferable punishes so you have to be more mindful of the match ups compared to when using other characters who usually have the same answers for anything.

Special Attack Usage: Honestly, learn the ranges and speed for his Glove Toss, FreddyFingers and Hell Spike and simply seek to annoy the hell out of your opponent while being mindful of those with quick teleport answers, you want to bait them instead of spamming. Sweet Dreams is only useful if you’re willing to use the enhanced version, which makes it far more faster, but learn your opponent before throwing this out since you’re spending meter to do so.

(source: GameTrailers)

Looks like the obvious has been revealed officially. Sony and SuperBpt are set to release a four player fighting game featuring a cast full of first party exclusives, as well as some third party fan favorites. Right now there’s six character that have officially been revealed:

Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal)

Fat Princess

Kratos (God of War)

Sly Cooper

Radec (Killzone)

PaRappa the Rapper

(source: GameTrailers)

Each stage will have its franchise theme mixed with another franchise as well, with Hades from God of War fending off Patapon‘s in the background. A constant 60 frames per second, the visual quality is impressive so far. Comparisons to the Super Smash Bros. franchise will immediately begin to accumulate, as there are a myriad of similarities that can be pointed out.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is slated for a fourth quarter 2012 release exclusively on the PlayStation 3. In the meantime, what are your opinions of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale so far? Any characters or settings featured on a Sony console that are on your wish list to make it into this massive brawl? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts, feelings and ideas!

For those unfamiliar with the series, gameplay is reminiscent of Kengo for the PS2. For those unfamiliar with Kengo, the gameplay is quite original. There is a high, mid, low, dodge and projectile button.  Battles can end in seconds or go for minutes, depending on how tactical those playing are. Overall however you can die quite quickly, damage is based on the timing and hit location of blows. Attacks are broken down into slashing, crushing and piercing, each with different properties. Piercing can go through armor, crushing can’t cause dismemberment but is extremely powerful and slashing is weak against armor but can cause dismemberment. Each warrior has a special move that can be delayed to throw off their opponents timing.  Fights can literally end in seconds with whole health bars draining from one well timed attack. Body parts can be wounded or hacked off entirely. Each warrior has numerous weapon options, each with strengths and weaknesses and the entire cast is extremely diverse in abilities and strengths.

Loss of an arm can mean loss of ability to use a weapon or shield severely crippling a combatant: Example being the mighty centurion is nearly impenetrable with his shield, but you knock it away and he loses much advantage. This encourages smart play strategy and an additional layer of depth. The Apache, though lightning quick with his twin tomahawks, has very little in the way of armor and can be felled swiftly, while the Knight is a tank and slow as one. Each combatant has a ranged weapon capable of poisoning, wounding or fatally injuring the other warrior. An arrow or spear to the head can kill instantly, however a blow-dart will slowly poison the character hit by it. At first glance, characters might seem a bit unbalanced however as you learn your chosen warrior, you come to see they all stand a chance against each other, leaving player skill as the deciding factor. My first two playthroughs were as Spartan and Apache. As a Spartan, my strategy was to wait for the opponent to make a mistake and counter with my shield knocking them off balance. When I played as the Apache, I found that my superior speed allowed me to rush in to do massive damage and then swiftly dodge out of the way of retaliation.

The AI is a formidable opponent offering up a nice challenge for those who prefer to play alone. Numerous times it expertly took me apart utilizing each characters strengths, though this was on a higher difficulty. Arcade mode is traditional 8 match play through for each character, unlocking equipment along the way by completing challenges such as hacking at pig meat hanging or a sudden death match in the fight lab. Tons of facts at loading screens, lots of unlockable armor, weapons and characters await those who complete Arcade mode. There are over 150 weapons spread across both games, each with different stats and abilities.

 An example of one of the many unlockables

Sound effects are accurate and fitting, especially in a 5.1 environment I found myself glancing around my room unsure if I was hearing sounds out my window or from the game. Landed blows are bassy and sound full while hits that land on armor sound appropriate as well. The graphics are serviceable, though nothing special. Legends looks a bit better then the first game in the series. Some textures look a little on the low resolution side, overall you won’t be confusing this with the likes of Uncharted 3. Considering the engine is several years old this can be expected from what was once a PSN game. The animations are surprisingly fluid and each warrior feels completely unique. The violence is bloody and graphic, each warrior possessing his or her own fatality animation and many fatal blows dismember opponents brutally. Some characters, such as the pirate have a humorous side to them though much of the game takes itself seriously.

Overall, the game succeeds at not feeling like a cash in on the shows success, though if you are a fan you will be quite pleased. For the price of $30 you are getting one hell of a deal if you are a history/weapons/fighting game buff. The combat feels authentic and solid and all the unlockables are guaranteed to give the title a nice bit of replayability, even more so if you play with friends. The 6 episodes included on this hybrid bluray disc are just the icing on the cake and provide hours of additional content. Most importantly, the game is just fun and the combat is so fast and easy to learn, it’s great for when you have a few friends over.

It appeared that there was no players online at this time so I am unable to offer opinion on how well it plays. However owners of the original games can crossplay with owners of Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat.  This review was conducted on a retail version sent to us by 345 games.

OVERVIEW 

modes: arcade, practice, challenge, battle

multiplayer: local skirmish, local battle, online battle

leaderboard: yes

characters: 11 initial. 22 total

Rating: 7.5

I checked out Akai Katana the other day at the Rising Star Games press event. Before we get into what exactly Akai Katana is I have to say that Kyoto Fu has some very delicious food and quite possibly the best potato chip based snack I have eaten in my life up until this point, maybe even in my entire life past this point. The bar has been set pretty high for snacks from here on out. I could go on and on about how these chips were so delicious but I won’t there’s a game to talk about.

Akai Katana is a old school shoot ‘em up. The more modern term for it is Bullet Hell. These type of games put a ridiculous amount of enemy bullets on screen ,usually in hard to read/notice patterns, and relies on the players to have quick reactions, eye-thumb coordination and the ability to stay calm. These games are often well animated, very colorful and just insanely hard. A more contemporary title that people may recognize is Ikaruga.

So what’s the premise? Simple, the story of Akai Katana is set in a parallel world resembling Japan’s Taisho period, where the people have discovered the powerful Blood Swords. Requiring human sacrifices to unleash their immense destructive power, these swords have been used by the empire to crush neighboring countries. However, all the bloodshed and power gained through sacrificing close family members has made some of the swordsmen think twice. With new fighter planes and the powered up swords at their disposal, this small band of rebels now fight back against the tyrannical empire.

The game itself features three modes origin, climax and slash. I spent much of the time running through climax mode which features an extra level and boss to face. I played Origin briefly which is the traditional arcade mode. I didn’t get too much time on slash mode. A really cool feature that this game has is training mode. You can run through levels and practice  your runs for score attacks or just to show up and impress your lady friends. Each training mode comes with a target for you to hit so you’re working towards a goal. You can also use this mode to find different ways to tackle the patterns of the enemies and bosses . Seeing as how this game features replay mode where you can watch another players run through the game, practicing will help you make sure you look the best among your friends.

When it comes to the overall look of this game it’s a very well animated. It is also inline with games form the Touhou Project series, whose hallmarks tend to be fairies,Lolitas, samurais, ninjas,etc.  as bosses and characters. The game play borrows from those games with the ability to switch between a fighter plane and person mode. The twist is that when you switch from plane to human bullets are repelled but when you switch back they come back to their previous location or you can pass through them very briefly (depending on the mode). I wish I knew about this when I started playing because there were quite a few deaths that I could have avoided using this feature(I sat down picked up and just started playing).

While I did manage to beat the climax mode I did not dissect the game fully (I’ll leave that for a review). However I did notice that there was no online multiplayer. I asked about this feature being omitted and it was a very deliberate omission on the part of Cave and Rising Star Games. The reasoning was that with online multiplayer you leave the potential for lag to mess up a game that’s very reaction and timing based. When you have people  with shoddy connections playing this game it could dampen  the overall experience,which is true I cannot tell you how many games have the issue with lag and poor net code. We’ll have to see if the offline only multiplayer can stand in this market where everyone expects and demands it. I think it’s refreshing because you get to hang out with your friends and play something. It would just suck if your friends lived in another state or country.

The game ships this spring.

You can follow this game on any of these and find out more about the game itself here

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