South of the Border 3rd Strike
Every 3rd Strike tournament should feature at least one match being broad casted in drunken Spanish. Gotta love the folks down at FFA. I’m thinking about making a trip down south next month, so if everything goes according to plan I’ll have to bring the video camera.
Ranbat 5.3 was pretty good, if just for the only EX Mountain Kick you’ll ever see make contact. Thanks, Scott!
No commentsThe United States of Street Fighter IV
Before I even attempted to get the “No Country for Old Arcades” series off the ground, I made sure to contact the good folks over at Arcade Heroes to pick their brain on the idea. It’s thanks to them that I got this idea in my head that for as much as people love to declare the arcade scene as dead, history has proven that all they really need is just one amazing title to bring everyone back in.
Pong kicked off the 70’s and in the 80’s, Pac-Man proved that arcade games weren’t just a fad. Street Fighter II completely revolutionized the industry at the start of the 90’s and Dance Dance Revolution did the same for this century.
And now, a little over a month after it’s Japanese release, Street Fighter IV has landed in select arcades across North America. From what I’ve seen and heard, it could very well be that one game needed to convince the masses that yes, arcades are very much worth your time. The problem is that it also represents an easily missed opportunity.
14 commentsParty Monsters
My weekend began the same way it ended with a viewing of The Dark Knight. After exiting our midnight showing, my friend Rory and I were at a loss for conversation. For what felt like the first time ever, we were both completely satisfied with a film. The most we could muster was, “That was awesome,” and “I just wish there were more Joker.” I noticed a few goofs the second time around (like how Marone was walking around perfectly find towards the end of the film), but really, The Dark Knight is brilliant. I’d tell you go to see it, but the chances are good that you already have.
After the opening night, I went home, got 3 hours of sleep and hopped a flight to L.A. for what would be one of the best gaming events of the year.
No commentsThe Red Cyclone
The adorable Munny that has hypnotized you in all its sheer, rugged manliness, was crafted for me by my girlfriend, the ever-so-talented Miss Shelby. I’m just going to come out and say it: I fucking love Zangief. I’ve been a hardcore Gief player for years, going so far as to pretty much drop every other character in my Super Turbo arsenal in my pursuit of Pony-style Russian domination. So when Shelby asked if there was a Munny I’d like to see made, the answer was easy.
The creation of him, however, not so much. She sculpted out his features in less than a day, but work couldn’t truly begin until we acquired a necessary component, fur. Unfortunately for us, Spring isn’t exactly fur season, whether you’re in fashion or fabrics. After exhausting every fabric and craft store we could find, we opted for the last resort. And so, we picked up a teddy bear from Target and skinned him for his hide.
Seeing as how Zangief received his incredible amount of scars from wrestling Siberian polar bears, I’m pleased to see this project come full circle. For as great as this turned out, she still has a lot to show for as you can see over at her site and DeviantArt. Thanks, Shelby!
1 commentChampion Edition, Seoul Style
My favorite source for all things fighting, NewChallenger, updated with a link to the YouTube account for South Korea’s official SF2:CE scene, which is not only active but still hosting tournaments as well. Even better, their most recent footage seems completely devoid of M.Bison bicycle loop shenanigans! Do check it out if you’re a fan of careful spacing and mind games.
No commentsGames To-Do List 2008
The corpse of E3 clawed its way out of the ground this week and paraded about the streets of San Francisco, handing out asset discs and giving live presentations to press members who placed RSVP’s under their pillows at night. Something like that, I suppose. Its been a week full of events and embargoes and all that other good stuff that makes me realize how excited I am for this year in games.
At this point, there isn’t anything jumping out and screaming for the game of the year attention (in my wacky opinion, of course), but there are a lot of things I can’t wait to experience.
In my pursuit to make the blogging a regular bit, allow me to share with you some of those wonderful things.
2 commentsStreet Fighter IV gets a facelift
Things have been quite hectic around here as of late and I’ll soon be in a better position to deliver some updates to my blog. The long story short is that I’m finally moving back out (This weekend, actually!) and so all my commuting woes that have kept me away from, well, fun in general, will be going out the window. Until then, check out these two awesome posts that fellow NeoGAF user, MicVlaD, put together to showcase the subtle changes that Street Fighter IV has gone through in the past couple of weeks.
The new shots are on the right-hand side and while the changes are very subtle, they make a huge impression on the overall look. The details are really starting to shine (Honda has nipples now!), the facial expressions (finally) look great and you can see the beginnings of their advanced lighting and filters going into play. After playing the game at GDC (of which I presented five days worth of features) I looked upon the graphics as acceptable. Not terribly great, but acceptable. We’re definitely getting into that “great” territory now. Enjoy!
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Jared Rea is a ridiculously nerdy 24 year old freelance games writer living in the Bay Area of California. When he isn't watching Doctor Who or crushing folks with his beasting Zangief, you can find him working on articles for various gaming websites.
