(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!

While the Sega Dreamcast is one of, if not possibly my all-time favorite gaming console, it only produced five titles for this console generation that fit my top 25 list. The quality overall of the titles selected could almost be the strongest out of any generation I have experienced, especially with no singular dominance in genres present. Lats take a look at my Top 25 128-bit Games:

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15. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN)

Rating: N/A

I kinda cheated with Twilight Princess. It was first released alongside the Nintendo Wii in November of 2006, with the Gamecube version being released a month after that. I spent a bit less time on the Gamecube version overall than the Wii version, but I felt it should be represented on this list, mostly because it’s not on the next list. Mindless waggling was changed over to button presses, though the gameplay as a whole, and even the visuals in many respects, changed little. The wolf portions might be a bit grating, but Twilight Princess was yet another installment in the Zelda franchise that managed to capture my heart and steal away plenty of my time.

14. Mario Kart Double Dash (GCN)

Rating: 8.7

Double Dash is often passed over as the “best kart racing” game out there, and that’s a crying shame really. I know the whole two rider gimmick didn’t resonate with fans of the franchise as much as the single riders did, but that added layer of depth really went a long way in differentiating its self not only from other Mario Kart titles, but any other kart titles in general. Most of the maps felt just right as well, sporting some bright and colorful tracks to drive through. Even the roster seemed more diverse and fleshed out.

13. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II (XB)

Rating: N/A

Even I can admit that Knights of the Old Republic II wasn’t anywhere near as gripping and memorable as the first installment, but it was still an interesting adventure in its own right. There were bugs, a lot of content didn’t make it in, and most aspects to the game felt exactly the same as the first game, but it was still a story that had its unusual moments, enticing me to keep soldering on to see how things develop. Definitely give Knights of the Old Republic II a whirl, but be sure you played through the first game beforehand.

12. Capcom vs SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 (DC)

Rating: 8.9 (PS2)

At the peak of the crossover craze in the late 90′s/early 00′s, Capcom vs SNK 2 was a bombshell combination. A mammoth roster of Capcom and SNK brawlers were enhanced by six different gameplay styles, each with their benefits and disadvantages. The number of combinations possible can lead to a mind boggling number of possibilities. Add in a second player and you have one of the most chaotic, yet gratifying fighting games ever created. Even though there are licensing issues, Capcom vs SNK 2 is the perfect candidate to receive a HD visual makeover and re-released onto Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

11. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (XB)

Rating: 8.7

A blissful combination of the Star Wars universe and third person shooting, with a healthy dose of vehicular combat. Each map was huge, providing numerous areas to battle and chaos to ensue. The only thing that ever held back the on foot melees was a combination of weapon variety and weapon pick ups. The heroes that were unlocked mid fight did add a bit of spice to each ground foray though, which were balanced quite a bit all considering. The aerial combat was a thrill and a half, especially the Hoth battles. The online portion might have been shut down, but even offline, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is still as addicting as ever offline.

While the Sega Dreamcast is one of, if not possibly my all-time favorite gaming console, it only produced five titles for this console generation that fit my top 25 list. The quality overall of the titles selected could almost be the strongest out of any generation I have experienced, especially with no singular dominance in genres present. Lats take a look at my Top 25 128-bit Games:

Notable Omissions:

Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 – As with Metal Gear Solid, I just never got into the franchise as much as I wanted, outside MGS4. MSG3 I did enjoy somewhat, though I really did loathe MGS2.

Halo, Halo 2 – I actually did enjoy Halo, but I really found Halo 2 to be mind numbingly poor. I also disliked its approach of “realism” in only having a couple of ballistic weapons at one time, which every FPS had to adopt (though I understand for games such as Call of Duty.) The single player in Halo 2 was a yawn fest, and I still think its multiplayer is overrated, as well as  annoying in the sense that it’s frustrating that it takes 101 bullets to fell anyone.

Okami, Zone of the Enders 1-2, Beyond Good & Evil, Psychonauts, Eternal Darkness, Shenmue, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – Outstanding games….but I have not played enough of them to warrant any of them to be on my list. Though I have to admit that the Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner opening theme is one of the best things I have ever heard in my life.

80% of all RPG’s – My queue is filled with the likes of Tales of the Abyss, Xenosaga Episode I-III, every Shin Megami Tensi (minus Persona 4) Suikoden III-V and so on. Some of these titles I played a bit into and fell in love with (especially Persona 3) but too many factors pulled me away from them.

Sonic Adventure – This was the reason why I bought my Sega Dreamcast, even though I didn’t get it until years later. Playing it again on both the Sega Dreamcast and Xbox Live Arcade….my God this hasn’t aged well whatsoever. That opening theme though….still catchy as all hell.

Soul Calibur – I recognize its achievements, though I still prefer Soul Blade/Edge any day of the week.

Jet Grind Radio – Never clicked with me, though it’s gorgeous even today.

Super Mario Sunshine – UGH. Thoroughly pointless IMO. The waterpack gimmick fell flat for me, the colorful world felt flat and mostly dead. One of the most disappointing Mario games I’ve ever played.

Devil May Cry/God of War franchises – Both are worthwhile and must plays, but none of them had any place on my list.

Marvel vs Capcom 2 – The official #26. Still a chaotic thrill ride worth taking, whether it’s the Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox or Xbox Live Arcade/PSN version.

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25. Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)

Rating: 9.0

The game that almost glorified running hookers down with a corvette, Grand Theft Auto III was the rebirth of a franchise, which spawned into a mega sensation. Each release after GTAIII has become a highly sought after title, but it was GTAIII that started the craze. Run or drive around a good chunk of real estate, following a storyline, or just off doing your own thing. The freedom and diversity on display wasn’t as plentiful as the current releases, but there’s no denying its satisfaction and groundwork that it laid out.

24. Disgaea (PS2)

Rating: N/A

The Strategy RPG genre has become a sickening addiction for myself. Disgaea was one of a few in that genre that grabbed me by the grapefruits and refused to let me go. The hilarious storyline with a lovable cast of characters further helped to engross me into its rock solid gameplay. The series has evolved in several different ways, though the original has the charm that captures my heart each time.

23. Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service (DC)

Rating: 8.3

Released in Japan in limited quantities, this hodgepodge of Darkstalkers – Darkstalkers 3 was more or less an “ultimate” version of the franchise. Each character has three different versions of themselves, each representing one of the three releases, along with the crisp, near arcade perfect visuals and quality overall. The Darkstalkers franchise might not receive the level of love from the fighting game community as the pillars of the community (Street Fighter, Marvel) but make no mistake – Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service is still one of the most enthralling titles in the genre.

22. Metroid Prime (GCN)

Rating: N/A

Mario and Link made the transition to 3D years before, so why not Samus and the Metroid franchise? Still one of the most gorgeous games on the Gamecube, Metroid Prime also built an enjoyable game world within the beauty of its looks. The somewhat unusual control methods can be a turn off early on, but quickly become second nature. It’s definitely one of the upper echelon within the franchise, and it’s a title that most Gamecube owners should have already played years ago.

21. Phantasy Star Online (DC)

Rating: N/A

A radical departure from the standard Phantasy Star franchise, Phantasy Star Online boldly went where so few console games have gone before – online! Create your avatar, link up with folks on the Sega Dreamcast’s 56k modem (or solo if you wish) and take on a myriad of enemies, all while collecting materialistic upgrades and physical upgrades. While the ability to play online ceased years ago, it’s still a pleasant enough romp through the game on your own.

The 32/64 bit era also gave birth to my all-time favorite game, Suikoden. I know that seems like a spoiler, but the number of times I’ve mentioned my man crush with Konami’s RPG have been well documented, so sorry if that ruins any kind of non existent anticipation. But with that, lets take a look at my Top….25 – 2 32/64 Bit Games:

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10. GoldenEye 007 (N64)

Rating: 9.4

GoldenEye wasn’t supposed to engross people like it did. It was a movie licensed video game – how many of those actually succeeded over the years? But the company behind such marvels as Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country managed to create a console first person shooter that I still consider one of the benchmarks. The single player was captivating in its own right, with higher difficulties enabling added objectives, but the multiplayer was considered one of the greatest throughout any platform and any genre for quite a while. A bit dated these days in terms of visuals and controls, but still a blast, especially with three other enthusiasts.

09. WCW/nWo: Revenge (N64)

Rating: 8.8

While WWF No Mercy and WWF Wrestlemania 2000 did offer more in various ways, WCW/nWo: Revenge always meant quite a bit to me. From recreating matches I had just seen the night before on WCW Nitro or Thunder so I can keep the champions up to date, to booting it up for the hell of it these days, it’s always been a captivating experience. Movement was slow, but it was actual chain wrestling, with a gameplay system that still far outshines anything THQ and Yukes have tried to provide since the PS2 WWE Smackdown days.

08. Star Ocean 2: The Second Story (PSX)

Rating: N/A

Boasting over 80 endings (which was a bit misleading with how the endings were made), Star Ocean 2 provided a stellar showing with each facet. Memorable music, intriguing combat, a fascinating game world and so on. Star Ocean 2 was definitely one of the longer RPG’s I’ve played as well, with each playthrough usually lasting me at least 80 hours, but those were some of the more satisfying 80+ hours I’ve spent with a game, each time I played through it.

07. Resident Evil 2 (PSX)

Rating: 9.3

I remember when Resident Evil 2 was first shown, it was a completely different game than it turned out. What was shown at first looked incredibly promising, yet what we got was what i still consider the premiere installment in the franchise. The visual detail improved over the first, as did that voice acting (somewhat.) The one neat feature that really hooked me was the “zapping system” which was playing the game first with Leon and then changing over to Claire at some point, and vice versa. It doesn’t sound like a big deal today, but it was a big deal back then, and it did add some replay value as well. Each of the Resident Evil titles on the Sony PlayStation were memorable, but Resident Evil 2 has the edge overall, thanks to each piece falling into the right place.

06. Street Fighter Alpha 3 (PSX)

Rating: 9.3 (JP)

Capcom fighting game ports on the Sony PlayStation were….okay they were craptacular. Piss poor load times, tons of frames of animation axed, mere shells of their immaculate selves. Street Fighter Alpha 3 tried to right a lot of the wrongs committed previously, with more fluid animations, as well as just a slight less load time. The gameplay remained as addicting as ever, with three different ways to play each character. The console exclusive World Tour mode remains one of the greatest bonuses added to a fighting game, allowing players to pick a character and run the gamut against characters with certain win restrictions placed (only supers can damage your opponent, a gauntlet battle against a handful of the same character on one health bar, etc.) All together, it’s still one of the best packages in the genre, and a must play.

The 32/64 bit era also gave birth to my all-time favorite game, Suikoden. I know that seems like a spoiler, but the number of times I’ve mentioned my man crush with Konami’s RPG have been well documented, so sorry if that ruins any kind of non existent anticipation. But with that, lets take a look at my Top….25 – 2 32/64 Bit Games:

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20. Ridge Racer Type IV (PSX)

Rating: 8.6

The first few Ridge Racer games were all enjoyable in their own ways, but Ridge Racer Type IV fleshed out one element that can be finicky to develop – the controls. Power sliding, barreling down straightaways and pulling past the competition never felt so gratifying in a racing game before, or after this one. The flimsy storyline tacked in was a disappointment, but the vehicular controls were just too silky smooth for me to stay upset at the tacked on feature.

19. Final Fantasy Tactics (PSX)

Rating: N/A

This is where I started my strategy RPG fascination. Not only did Squaresoft deliver on the core gameplay, but the difficulty as a whole did not relent, making each victory all the more sweeter. It’s been ported to a couple of handhelds, but none hold a candle to the immaculate, lag-free (in terms of action on the screen slowing down quite a bit on the portables) console version. I do feel the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS spinoffs are superior in certain respects, though Final Fantasy Tactics will always remain that overall watermark that developers should strive to surpass.

18.  Tekken 2 (PSX)

Rating: N/A

Tekken and Tekken 3 were outstanding 3D fighting games in their own right, but Tekken 2 always holds a more profound place in my heart. The character selection and gameplay were just right, with not a huge roster, as well as a solid engine all around. It was as entertaining solo as it was in multiplayer, even if my ex girlfriend had a better win ratio again me, though I blame that on her not having a memory card and having Baek unlocked! Regardless, it’s a solid brawler all around.

17. Vagrant Story (PSX)

Rating: N/A

The thing that stuck out about Vagrant Story was its combat system. Players could aim at certain area on the enemy and depending on what weapons they and equiped at that time, can perform combos with properly timed button presses. It was one of those titles that could work solely off its gameplay, though outside of it being released at an awkward time (not on a DVD so no voice acting could help that narrative out some more), the complete package could definitely stand on its own legs as one of the premiere titles of its generation.

16. Mega Man Legends (PSX)

Rating: N/A

Depending on who you talk to, the Mega Man Legends series is either embraced, or scoffed at. As unorthodox as it might be, Mega Man Legends really was worth playing to the end. The camera controls did take a while to become accustomed to, but once that’s locked down, it was a new dimension for the blue bomber (no pun intended.) I never did play far enough into the sequel, but I can vouch for Mega Man Legends – one of the lesser appreciated titles in any of the major franchises.

Capcom’s success with crossover titles featuring their brand of fighters against another companies list of combatants has proven to be a successful formula. Whether its SNK’s lineup of brawlers, or even the Marvel Universe, Capcom managed to blend together long lasting titles that, even after a dozen years, still receive respectable amounts of coverage and play. Though Capcom and SNK fundamentally shared similar interests and aspects to their gameplay and systems as a whole, there hasn’t been a blend that, on paper, seemed implausible at best. Fast forward years later and a partnership between Capcom and Namco Bandai produced just what I thought would be an implausible marriage or two of the most prominent fighting game franchises of all time in the form of Street Fighter X Tekken (SFxT.)

Being on the outside looking in, it was hard to imagine whether or not a crossover of such differing franchises would ever work. Street Fighter’s adherence towards a two dimensional plane for a majority of its lifespan, along with its projectile game and the advent of super meters and super moves, were a start contrast from Tekken’s side stepping three dimensional world, filled with ten pieces, outlandish juggles and focus on an up close and personal battle. The final result was a bit shocking – it’s mostly a Street Fighter world, but with a bit more of an “in your face” battle and an emphasis on juggling and creativity with combos.

The Tekken side of the roster provides a bit more depth to the gameplay, though the Street Fighter cast has their complexity as well.

For those who have been accustomed to the Street Fighter 4 franchise, as well as the first Street Fighter Alpha release, they will quickly find themselves on somewhat familiar ground. The link system based about the SF4 franchise will come into play for both Tekken and Street Fighter combatants, not to mention EX attacks (which were more famous in the Street Fighter III franchise), as well as the light > medium > heavy chain combo system that Street Fighter Alpha had, among with super moves (which were birthed in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.) That aspect alone leads to creative combos that can be unleashed. Add in the tagging portion of the gameplay, as well as the juggle centric nature of the Tekken franchise, and the spectator game becomes equally as fascinating as participating in the action. With a myriad of ways to tag in mid combo, launch mid combo and have the second character involved within each match and combo, SFxT easily becomes one of the most sophisticated brawlers ever in the Capcom arsenal.

Admittedly, I have never had a complete investment within the Tekken scene, though I have had countless hours with the franchise, mostly from Tekken 1-3, Tag and 6. So while I understand many intricate aspects to the combat system, I cannot claim to know the complete ins and outs. With that said, my impressions of the Tekken casts representation within SFxT are mixed. Many of their moves, traits and characteristics have been faithfully ported over, though there are notable changes to make them more streamlined. Paul, who’s one of the characters I’ve dabbled with throughout each Tekken title I’ve played, retains similar special moves, such as his Phoenix Smasher (quarter circle forward + punch) though now it can be used with three different strengths and speeds, depending which of the three punch buttons are used. Other moves such as Shredder (forward, down, diagonally down-forward + kick) was performed by pressing diagonally up-forward + 3 then 4 (3 & 4 representing kick buttons in Tekken.) There are some noticeable changes however, such as the removal of ten piece combos (more or less a sort of “dial-a-combo” which defaults to ten hits), several characters receiving moves they never had before (Raven’s shuriken projectiles, Jin’s pulse balls) and certain combo strings that are no longer available (Ogre has a move called the “Infinite Kick” however it’s not the same properties as Tekken 3.) Some of the missing pieces may turn off certain fans, though the puzzle still feels complete nevertheless.

As a tag title, SFxT doesn’t disappoint. In many respects, the tag portion of the gameplay is reminiscent of Tekken Tag Tournament – if one character loses all of their health, that team loses the round, forcing players to pay attention to both of their characters at all times. Tagging can be performed a number of different ways, either mid combo, or from a distance. Tagging mid combo takes one bar of the players three bar super meter, though extends the time and damage performed. Tagging can also be performed mid combo via launcher, which can be delivered when both heavy buttons are pressed at the same time, or one of the heavy buttons are pressed two times in a row. This method does not deplete any portion of the super bar, and can leave the player wide open if blocked.

As a whole, Street Fighter X Tekke is one of the slickest brawlers ever.

For those who enjoy a single player experience, there’s a share of good news as well as bad news. The optional tutorial that greets first time players (which I whore-heatedly recommend) serves as an important first step towards learning the ropes. It does go over fundamentals that most fighting game players of all walks of life should already know, though there are portions that will help give any player a better understanding of what’s to come. As with Street Fighter 4, there’s a Trial Mode which has twenty tasks for each character, ranging from command normals (holding back and pressing medium punch for Marduk’s spinning back fist, etc.) to realistic and complex combos, to situational combos that will never see the light of day anywhere outside this mode. Mission Mode is a collection of twenty missions that will frustrate more than entertain. Running that gamut on mission #20 in a legitimate manner, will drive most grown adults crazy.

Sadly though, the story in the Arcade Mode ranges from intentionally comical (Rolento/Ibuki’s banter between matches) to a vastly cheesy ending (Heihachi/Kuma.) The banter between rounds between two paired fighters (you’ll know who is paired with the character you choose as soon as you select your first character) can be interesting, and builds up right to the end (especially the tension between Balrog and Vega) though ends up in a rather disappointing ending. The whole bit about a meteorite crash landing in Antarctica with some kind of secret mystical powers attached to its landing is a flimsy way of putting together the grand scheme of it all, but as usual, the gameplay more than makes up for this. Those looking for a Mortal Kombat like experience with the main story though, will be more than disappointed.

Borrowing heavily from the Street Fighter 4 franchise in certain respects, SFxT’s audio and visual performance is stellar. the character models previously seen from SF4, along with their voice-over work, were touched up ever so slightly, with a bit more shading on each character. Capcom’s representation of the Tekken fighters somewhat peak past those present from their side of the battle, though some of the English voice acting can be repulsive, which is a common issue on both sides. The music created just for this title is actually pretty catchy, with at least one of the songs leaving a noticeable lingering impact, kind of like how the opening intro song “Indestructable” from SF4 lingered on for hours after the game shuts off. But what stands out most in the A/V department are the creative backgrounds used. Unlike Super Street Fighter 4 and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, these are not cheap retreads of previously seen backgrounds, or some lazily added stage just to give players a bland place to do battle – these backgrounds are filled to the brim with detail, animation and a sense of action constantly going on. From the Jurassic Park-esque stage, to the Pandora effected mammoth chasing a vehicle you are doing battle on, these are some of the most imaginative stages I’ve seen in the genre. It may seem there are so few backgrounds in total, but the quality is beyond outstanding.

As with every fighting game under God’s hot sun, SFxT has its online component. Anyone that is familiar with the Street Fighter 4 series will know what to expect in both quality of connection and quality of content. Actually, the quality of connection seems better than SF4 as a whole, though the annoying sound drop outs that happen every so often are supposedly made that way by Capcom to help with stability. It’s a trade off I’m willing to take in order for my games to be as smooth as possible. The only major addition to the online mode is the ability to team with another person to take on another team in Scramble Mode (all four players on screen at the same time) or a sole combatant in Endless Matches or Ranked Games. It’s more of the same otherwise, though when there’s a solid online package being emulated, there’s little to complain about.

Color customization is a welcome addition, though the number of colors available out of the box is paltry at best.

The only problems I can unearth with SFxT have to do with its flimsy storyline, lack of a true Tekken feel, timer speed and one of the major components to the gameplay, the gems and Pandora. As mentioned earlier, the story never takes its self too seriously, but never attempts to really entice players into caring about what the outcome of each alliance will be. If you go into Arcade Mode without the paired combatants, the ending comes off even weaker than they already are. The timer really does tick down too fast, which infinite time can remedy, though those that wish to play with the limitation on will see that even with a battle between experienced players, time over will still appear more than it should.

Tekken players may not find a whole lot that will remind them that this was supposed to be a battle between Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise and their Namco Bandai Tekken franchise. The look and feel is decidedly Street Fighter, though the juggles and a plethora of moves from the Tekken side will be very reminiscent of the 3D brawler, just not enough to erase the notion that everyone will be playing a game that’s tailored closer towards the Street Fighter gamer.  This isn’t a real problem, especially since Namco Bandai will have their own crossover battle in the future called Tekken X Street Fighter, but there isn’t a significant feel to the gameplay that reaches out to hardcore Tekken players.

The last two issues are not so much a big deal, though one is a major component to the gameplay. The gem system doesn’t hold any real importance. Thankfully all but the Assist Gems feel so subtle that they could almost be non existent, though that’s the issue. With such brief and lax augmentations, one could simply forgo this addition all together, with no real importance being removed. The Assist Gems come in handy for more than just the novice player, especially the Auto Block Gem, which will knock off one meter for every missed block that the gem activates on. Even if it were just Assist Gems featured in SFxT, they could be completely removed and no one would really lose any sleep over it.

Gems are supposed to be a focal point to the wealth of character customization, yet its effects are so subtle that they almost feel non existent.

Finally, the comeback mechanic falls completely flat in every sense. Pandora enables players with their point character at or below 25% health to initiate a sequence that incapacitates said character, but boosts the health, power, speed and defense of their partner for ten seconds (the activation all happens in a 4-6 second time span.) Within these tens seconds, the player must defeat his opposition, and if the timer runs out before this task is accomplished, that Pandora powered player will lose the round. This gimmick is basically best used in the middle of a combo, or when the opposition left themselves wide open, but the problem is the strict time limit and completely situational usage. If the opposing player catches wind of what’s going on, they can simply jump backwards, fleeing most of the cast that cannot catch up to them (outside primarily Ogre and Akuma) and just run the Pandora timer out as they would if the actual timer was doing the same. There are gems that can enhance the players powers during Pandora, but again, it’s a completely situational comeback mechanic that will almost never work consistently. On top of that, a player who has a slight lead and is within the required activation costs, can activate Pandora with 3-4 seconds left on the clock, running the time out before Pandora is officially activated in battle. Maybe if the player survives after the time runs out and doesn’t have access to their partner, it would work a bit better, but as it is, Pandora is a broken mechanic with a situational use that will rarely pan out.

If we stick to the core elements of Street Fighter X Tekken, we have one of the most enjoyable fighting games since the Street Fighter III days. The audio, video and mechanical components all come together in ways that most fighters could only dream of, and the online component is one of Capcom’s strongest yet, in both content and stability. It’s as entertaining as a fighting game can get, with a serious amount of depth for hardcore, tournament level players, though enough simplicity for a novice to pick up and enjoy. Tekken faithful may not feel right at home, Pandora and the gems system could have been done without, the storylines are afterthoughts, and that timer really does tick by a little too fast. However the quality of everything that goes right for this game far exceeds the blemishes  that the negativity raise. It might not be as mind blowing as seeing characters from Capcom battle the Marvel Universe, but it’s addicting, with plenty of experimentation and good times to be had.

Rating: 8.5

Don’t forget to check out Sol Lekz review of Street Fighter X Tekken as well!

But, all things aside I finished in the top 20 (tied 17th) which is not bad at all. My other two highest finishes were when I placed 4th at NJIT, and 3rd at an admittedly low-turnout King of the Couch in Morristown. I can confidently say that my play has improved from last year. I don’t wake up unsafely as much I used to. I still have my issues with defense (I get grabbed easily and my blocking isn’t fully solid yet) however I have gotten better at avoiding some situations. On the other side of the coin, my offense has experienced the same growth. I am trying to make the transition from being a brawler to a more refined fighter. Yes, it’s a slow one with no real metric in which to measure your success, but I’ve noticed I have been winning a bit more in ranked matches online.

I finally made a return to Next Level for the big Two tournament series. I get there, I’m excited to play, but then, just my luck, I get to play a Spam ‘Rog and his cheap El Fuerte on stream . Overall, I didn’t do too bad, but I see that the potential here. I looked way better here than I did at Apex, but I’m still too inconsistent. I missed a few key punishes but I reacted well in some situations. If you’re wondering how I did in the overall tournament, I was blown up I haven’t gone 0-2 in a while so it was refreshing to be put down for once. That means I still have work to do, but just where do I get started?

Fortunately for me, Shoryuken has many posts on how to level up your game. I have been following them when I am in the lab, however I’ve just been playing online more to see what people are doing and get a feel of what I should be doing with my character. I just don’t feel that I have enough experience versus some characters or situations. Top players have been in some fight situations over and over again, and they just know what to do without wasting time to think about it. Me? I have to think. I’m also not able to accurately manage my meters without looking constantly. I still find myself peeking when I’m mid fight. I feel that if I can get better, more intuitive with my H.U.D. management then I can do things like make better reads on my opponent by looking at his life bar, super meter or even time with ease. I’ll also be able to mentally access my situations a bit better. I think the only cure for that is experience, so I have resolved to try and make it out to more local tournaments.

I think with more practice, I’ll build up the muscle memory required to not drop combos too often. I’ve made some progress, I just need to work out the kinks. I do not easily spook under pressure, it doesn’t affect me much, so I know that isn’t the problem. I however need to be able to take my comfortable, casual state of high-level play to tournaments. The transition seems to be giving me a hard time and I think that leads to my erratic play sometimes. I’ll keep working at it!

In any case, like always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on getting better. Tweet to me guys!

“The Bandwagon Effect is a well documented form of groupthink in behavioral science and has many applications. The general rule is that conduct or beliefs spread among people, as fads and trends clearly do, with “the probability of any individual adopting it increasing with the proportion who have already done so”.As more people come to believe in something, others also “hop on the bandwagon” regardless of the underlying evidence. The tendency to follow the actions or beliefs of others can occur because individuals directly prefer to conform, or because individuals derive information from others. Both explanations have been used for evidence of conformity in psychological experiments. For example, social pressure has been used to explain Asch’s conformity experiments, and information has been used to explain Sherif’s autokinetic experiment.

When individuals make rational choices based on the information they receive from others, economists have proposed that information cascades can quickly form in which people decide to ignore their personal information signals and follow the behavior of others. Cascades explain why behavior is fragile—people understand that they are based on very limited information. As a result, fads form easily but are also easily dislodged. Such informational effects have been used to explain political bandwagons.”

Thanks Wikipedia <3

Note the first sign.

We’ve all seen this in action so many times before. When a team catches a hot streak at the right time everyone suddenly a fan of said team. Stadiums are full and once cheap tickets are now super expensive. If you want to see it in everyday life look at all the ‘new’ Yankees or Giants fans (sorry, I’ve never been a big football guy, but I did like the Chargers in the Junior Seau days) that pop up whenever the team is competing for the c’hip (or championship). For the purposes of this article, I’ll use three really good examples: The Miami Heat once they signed Chris Bosh and Lebron, The L.A. Clippers once they got Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups and the Golden State Warriors when they made that incredible play off run that produced highlights such as this.

After that dunk, Warriors tickets became the new thing for everyone. The Clippers are currently going through the same thing. This phenomenon is not just limited to sports, or politics, it also extends into the gaming world. Allow me to give you some background before I rage the hell out.

In fighting games picking a character is a much like picking a tool box. There are different tools in each of them for different situations, but they all serve the purpose of winning the match for your character. In most competitive games (especially fighters) people tend to pick their characters, teams, weapons, etc in usually one of three ways.

The first type of player picks by character loyalty. This means they simply like the character design so much that they play as that fighter/race/whatever for that reason alone. These people will usually use the same character over the course of multiple installments of a game. It’s like those die hard sports fans who like their team even if they’re horrible or someone who likes a band that everyone thinks is terrible. The second type of people pick their character based on whether the character-in-question’s play style fits in with their current skill level. For example, in my early Street Fighter IV days, starting off with a complex character like C.Viper wasn’t a good idea because at the time I didn’t have the execution required to play her effectively. This skill-based approach to choosing also leads them to experiment with other characters after they get to a certain level of proficiency with their main character. The third and final type are the people who pick characters because they are easier to win with, or ‘high tier’ ones, meaning they have attributes that outrank a considerable number of characters in the roster. While this may seem shameless, it is in fact a valid strategy. In the end, the game is about winning, so you pick whoever gives you the best chance of winning.

Teaching them early, huh pal?

With that said, you’d think things would be pretty cut and dry, right? No, they aren’t. In fact, there is a fourth shadow group no one wants to admit they are a part of. The assholes are called the bandwagoners. These are the people who I despise the most. “But Phire”, you ask, “Why all the hate towards the bandwagon?” Simply put, for the fact that these are the same people who, to use a fighter as an example, will talk about how bad your character is, how weak/low-tier they are and how you need to switch them. However, if something changes or new tech is found, they’ll jump on that character too and talk about how good they are with everyone else. Of course, if you confront them, they will deny they ever said anything negative about them and claim that they had “played them before”. Come on. It’s like they just saw the ugly girl from High School hit her stride, become hot and they’re the first in line, claiming they always had a crush on her.

No one was there for these days in Vanilla 4 or Super Turbo.

Why am I bringing this up now? Well since I started playing the SFIV series I’ve watched my Cammy develop from an ’0-2 and out’ champion to something actually kind of dangerous. With the new 2012 patch, Cammy is no longer nerfed to hell. I remember in the original Arcade Edition when they took her dive kick I was about to commit seppuku and find a new main (had my mind set on Yun at the time) but I decided to stick it out with her, and my patience paid off becuase now, I like the way she plays. But now I’m seeing Cammy players popping up EVERYWHERE claiming to have a good one, which 90% of the time they really don’t. They lose to characters that they should be beating, and when fighting against Cammy they lose horribly. Playing online, I tend to win the mirror matches because 80% of the time I know what I’m looking for, what to watch out for, I’m not doing anything stupid, because I know how she works. This is the main problem with bandwagoners, because they really don’t understand the character they’re choosing. They will see videos, or watch some matches and say “Oh man that’s so cheap, I want to do that too!”. So they practice that set of moves, go out to try, then lose to high level players who know their bandwagon character is fraudulent or they lose via being counter-picked because they have NO match up experience.

Even he wasn't safe from Bandwagon fans after death.

Having beaten several ‘Cammy’ players far worse than I should have, in situations that wouldn’t have happened (like misjudging her drill distance) if these people actually knew her well enough to call their play style ‘unique’(which most bandwagoners do by default) we wouldn’t have this problem. I personally feel that people should just pick either what they like, or what they are most comfortable with and just play the game. I think it would make for a better game overall because we’d have more diversity rather than cookie cutter clones of a particular character and play style. Newsflash: This ultimately serves you and the community no purpose, because you aren’t choosing a character you’re invested in, you’re just trending. However, this may be part of a larger problem as a whole with players who aren’t willing to do any work to win popping up in large numbers. I’ll examine that next time.

Playing In EVO 2k11

Sexy photo of me talking

This was pretty awesome because I got to hang out with the super big wigs of the Fighting Game Community (FGC), talk shit and press some buttons. As for how I did? I did okay and want to do better next year. It was amazing to have so many people who are passionate about the same sort of things in one area, and as a competitor I really enjoyed putting my skills against them. In the end, it was bitter sweet because when I got back to the city, I lost my best friend and long time companion Sheena (Greatest Dog Ever). Luckily I had some really amazing people around me during this time and I got to make it through.

Playing In Japan

Apprujack

What a difference a year makes! I didn’t go to japan In 2010 and instead spent the year working and grinding out stuff stateside. So when I finally traveled to Japan and had a chance to take my Cammy to the arcades I was super excited. Surprisingly, I fared way better than I ever thought I would and the experience gave me more confidence going into EVO. As the late Josh “SK” Colon put it when viewing my skills, I built some momentum and I should try to sustain that. After all, I still have my arcade card and I’m ready to hit 10k BP in Japan with Cammy. Overall, It was a great experience to be in another part of Japan, and Osaka is a great city to visit.

PAX East

Took the team up to Boston! This was earlier in the year so my skills weren’t really up to snuff, but looking back at it, I realize I grew a lot as player in a short amount of time. The matches I lost, I probably would have won if the Phire I am now were sent back in time to play. Also, I was able to meet everyone from the industry that I know and it was a pretty awesome experience seeing them again and then some. Not to mention, it was a birthday gift for Sol Lekz as well so he was excited the whole weekend. This is probably my favorite trade show of the year, mainly because it doesn’t feel like a trade show.

Eric the Intern’s Beard

It is so soft and conditioned. It is probably the best beard we will ever have on staff. As it currently stands it is the only beard we have that’s on staff. I’m trying to convince Eric to grow it out more and put action figures in it like baby birds hiding in a nest or some sort of death mountain playset. Will he ever do it? Who knows?

2012 patch in Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition

Cammy players are usually in this position when it comes to the nerf hammer

This has been the first version of the the Street Fighter IV series where Cammy didn’t lose anything but actually got something back. I was so sad when she lost her instant dive kick from Super to Arcade Edition that I think I’ve called the waambulence a few times but ultimately, I ended up sticking it out and I’m happy with the results. I may pick up an alternate characterin the future, but right now I’m happy.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 being better and more polished than the vanilla version

Not only do I actually like the game a bit more now, but I am making an honest effort to learn how to play it too. The 12 new characters were a welcome refresher from what originally was offered up and they fixed some game systems I felt really needed work in the original. Some stuff still needs to be patched yes but for the most part it’s a better experience.

Actually getting two episodes done!

We were trying to get 4 out but life happens so we’ll try out best to get the 3rd out before the end of the world. But I definetly see that we can improve and our starting point isn’t too shabby

You.

Yes you reading this. None of this is possible without you reading, watching and generally not ignoring our existence. Yeah we’re not perfect, but we’re pretty damn cool nonetheless ;P . But seriously, sometimes it feels like no one is reading but when I check the site stats, I find you guys are. Thank you and I appreciate each and everyone of you

That’s been my 2011..So how was yours? tweet me yo!

Here are the five worst characters to have on your tail as a video game villain. NO THE GODDAMNED BATMAN IS NOT ON THIS LIST, HE IS A COMIC BOOK CHARACTER WITH A VIDEO GAME.

5) Sonic the Hedgehog/Link

At number 5 it’s a tie between Sonic and Link. Sonic is a hedgehog with super speed that can destroy most object by simplify JUMPING OR ROLLING into them. You build this amazing robot death machine only to have a blue hedgehog jump and roll it to death. To make matters even worse he can become a super hedgehog capable of destroying things just by touching them and he can breathe in space. They only thing that could stop this hedgehog is not having any rings (which the world seems to have an abundant supply of), drowning him (but you’d have to make sure there’s no cracks so air can leak or or have a completely underwater fortress and risk drowning yourself if Sonic does come through and beats the snot of out of your base),trying to crush him or trying to get him to fall into a pit(both of which are completely random). And no matter what you’re planning to do Sonic will always find out and show up pissed about it.

Link is equally annoying. Think about this you have this amazing power from the Triforce, you’re immortal and you are overall bad ass. Then all of a sudden a kid in a green tunic shows up and ruins everything. The most screwed up part about it? It’s a different kid almost every time. So you’re immortal and doomed to having a kid in a green tunic just tear you up all because it’s a tradition to give every kid a green tunic at a certain time. Why don’t you just kill off all the children in every village? Then you won’t have anyone to rule over. Catch 22.

4) Ryu

So you are holding a fighting tournament to try and find a new body for yourself? You’re an inter-dimensional being that just happened to be threatening two worlds at once? Are you the most brutal Muay Thai fighter ever and have no challengers? Well it sucks to be you because Ryu is probably going to show up and punch you in the face. Even if you’re just a regular fighter he’s still just going to punch you in the face. The man wanders the world LOOKING FOR FIGHTS barefoot no less. He has fought everything from aliens and giant robots to super heroes and demons. What makes it even worse is that in the chance you actually may be winning, he’ll tap into some hidden energy reserves and go evil making him even more dangerous. His moves are always so basic but they are insanely strong. Now that he has the Soul-Glo in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 this makes him that much more powerful.

3) Megaman

He doesn’t look like much. He looks like he’d be at home in a toy chest.If you are a robot that’s gone evil or renegade, then he’s the worse thing ever. Not only does he keep coming back if you defeat him. He has probably killed your allies and took their abilities to use on you or he is going to kill you and use your ability to kill your allies. What makes him creepy is that he always shows up without saying a word and just stares and blinks at you,later in the series he talks but for a few years he was a silent killer. And to think all this started because two old guys had problems with each other.

2) Snake

This includes the original Snake the one that the current Snake is cloned from. This man is a combination of spy, special operations soldier and mercenary commando from a black operations and espionage unit. He is tasked with disarming and destroying the latest incarnation of Metal Gear which is usually a bipedal nuclear weapon-armed mecha which is another word for giant robot. Usually Snake has to deal with people with ridiculous powers or armed with incredible skills to do so. You know he’s out there. You’re doing something that ridiculous you know that he’s going to be there and he’s not coming to negotiate anything with you, ever. While you’re trying to get your plan to completion, he’s either killing your allies or hes tranquilizing them and taking pictures of them in compromising positions, who knows what else he’s doing to them. You know what that’s going to be your fate too. This man has taken down so many organizations, robots, people in robots, ninja robots, vampires, ghosts, etc. that anything you can come up with he’s ready for. How do you stop a man like that? You don’t, you just pray that he kills you.

1) Belmonts

At the top of this list sits one family, the Belmonts. If you’re a citizen of the night this name strikes terror into your heart. If you’re a vampire and have a castle it’s even worse. These asshoels will show up at your front door, destroy everything in your house, steal your treasure and money, kill your tenants, find you in your panic room, beat the hell out of you and then sink your castle or destroy it. They ALWAYS show up and they more than likely will bring a friend or two. There’s really no way to get rid of them and they will always lecture you on morals and why what you’re doing is wrong. What if you’re not a creature of the night but have a castle? All it would take is one rumor from the towns folk and you’ll have them sniffing around in no time. I don’t think they even ask questions they just whip the hell out of everything and leave. And to top it all off they WILL be prettier than you with better hair and look cooler (in some cases) than you ever will.

What’s your top 5 ? I’d love to hear it tweet it to me or post on the Facebook!