News & Wrapups

The King Of Fighters series commemorates 20th anniversary

SNK's most succesful fighting game franchinse marks ts 20th anniversary today on August 25. This day in 1994, "The King Of Fighters" was released for the Arcade NeoGeo platform in Japan, followed later by distributions in various regions of the world. At the time, the game was praised for its 3-on-3 all-star fighting action, featuring characters from numerous past titles including Ikari, Psycho Soldiers, Fatal Fury, and Art of Fighting. The game marked what was to become the beginning of a long-running fighting game series, spanning over 13 numbered sequels and over a total of 30 titles on various gaming platforms. The 20th anniversary of KOF is being commemorated by various groups-- 1/ SNKPlaymore, the current IP holder of the KOF series, is offering all of its smartphone apps for the low price of 100 yen. This includes not only fighting game titles but also odd-end titles such as Pachislot simulators. 2/ Game-Art HQ is hosting "The King Of Fighters Anniversary Art Tribute", a collaboration project featuring over 30 artists from worldwide including USA, Asia, Europe and Australia. The tribute page gives an overview of the KOF series and its characters, with illustrations and introductions of every KOF title. (Tip from Reinhold H.) http://www.game-art-hq.com/76782/kof-1994-2014-the-game-art-hq-community-tribute-for-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-king-of-fighters-series/ 3/ Various users of Twitter are posting up commemorative artworks as well. https://twitter.com/search?v=stream&q=20%E5%91%A8%E5%B9%B4&mode=photos https://twitter.com/search?v=stream&q=kof20th&mode=photos 4/ Indirectly related to the series' 20th anniversary, SNKPlaymore is also offering its latest KOF installement "KOFXIII Steam Edition" through Humble Bumble. Paying more than the average price is a requirement, but comes with a bonus digital soundtrack collection of the game. https://www.humblebundle.com/

Keep Skullgirls Growing -- Fundraising Begins for Skullgirls, first goal already met in 24 hours

Skullgirls' new development studio Lab Zero Games has launched its fundraising programme for their original fighting game title currently available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox360, and soon to come on Steam. With their publisher Autumn Games hit by a legal battle as of the current time, the team requires contributions in order to develop future content. Contributions can range anywhere from $5 to $1,000 and will come with various graditudes and goodies from the development team including desktop wallpapers, exclusive character Tshirts and postcards, original sketches, a voicemail from the Skullgirls voice actresses, or even get drawn into a stage. This is a "fixed funding" campaign, meaning that all contributions will be refunded if goals are not met. Note: As of the first 24 hours, the initial stretch goal of $175,000 has already been reached. Donations can be made from-- http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/keep-skullgirls-growing?c=home Already unveiled during the EVO2013 breast cancer donation drive, the first scheduled DLC character is Squigly, requiring a $150,000 budget for completion. The character was 1/3rd of the way done before members of the development team were disbanded from its former studio, Reverge Labs. The stretch goal is an additional $25,000 (total $175,000), which will help create the story mode, background, and BGM for Squigly. Development schedule is estimated at 10 weeks, with staff getting barely but enough salary to concentrate on the project rather than take on secondary jobs. If the first goals are met, the development team can progress to additional DLC characters at ($200,000+$25,000) per head. The second character will be Big Band, followed by a third "mystery" character, to be voted by the community. Potential characters include Umbrella, Marie, Mrs.Victoria, Black Dahlia, D.Violet, Annie of the stars, Stanley Whitefin, and more to be unveiled, viewable here (though their unique sillouettes more or less disclose them). If anything during the process of development ends costing lower than expected, Lab Zero Games will make good use of the funds for additional content, such as adding taunts or additional intro, win and lose animations.

SNK Playmore gets new president

SNKPlaymore is once again getting a major change in its management. Taking over current corporate president Ryo Mizufune's seat effective November 1 is Masao Ohata, according to SNKP's official site which has been updated to reflect the change. While Mizufune was known to have come from SNKP's Pachislot sector, Ohata, age 53, has a colorful history in the American videogame industry according to Japanese arcade journal AMPress,. A graduate of Japan's Chuo University in economics, Ohata was the president of Jaleco USA until he moved to Time Warner Interactive as head of International operations in 1995. He went on to Midway Amusement as vice president before moving to Bandai America in 2001 as vice president, then to Acrodea America in 2009 as president and CEO. This is the third time for SNKPlaymore's president to change in the past 4 years. An official press release is scheduled by SNK Playmore on November 21.

Rumblefish 2 announced for NesicaLive, location testing already started

Dimps has unveiled via the launch of its official teaser site that Rumblefish 2 will be released on Taito's NesicaLive platform. Location testing has already started at multiple arcades in Japan including Akihabara Hey and Shinjuku South Taito Station. The NesicaLive version of Rumblefish 2 still runs at 4:3 similarly to the Atomiswave original, but it also includes some new content, updates, and character balances have been tweaked. The bosses are unlocked by default and have their own icons on the character select screen. Additional details on the game and some photos are currently available on the MMCafe BBS. According to Dimps' teaser page, the NesicaLive release of Rumblefish 2 is the first title for the franchise's relaunch project. Rumblefish2 NesicaLive version Official Teaser Page

Dimps acquires Rumblefish rights from Sega

Dimps on July 19 has announced its acquisition of IP, trademark and copyrights for Rumblefish and Rumblefish 2 which previously were owned by Sega. With the rights now in their hands, the company is making plans for the title. Dimps has already made a minor update to Rumblefish's official portal site, saying that "new information" will soon be released. The site also links to an official Twitter that launched simultaneously. Rumblefish Official Site Official Twitter for the Rumblefish Franchise

SNK unveils New Fatal Fury title, causes gamer woes

SNKPlaymore has announced a new Fatal Fury title, "Fatal Fury: Sougeki". Unfortunately, it turned out to be another Pachislot machine rather than a new fighting game release. The Pachislot features 3D rendered graphics rather than the traditional 2D style that the series is known for. Bosses include Ryuji Yamazaki, Wolfgang Krauser, and Geese Howard. The illustration artwork seems to be drawn by former SNKP artist Hiroaki, who now works freelance for multiple companies including Capcom (SF4 series). "Fatal Fury: Sougeki" is slated to operate in Japan from July. For screenshots and more, check below. Sales Reference Teaser page

Skullgirls Original Soundtrack, now available for iTunes

Hot off the grill following the original game's launch, Autumn Games has released the Original Sound Track for Skullgirls, which can now be purchased at iTunes and CDBaby.com. The tracks are composed by former Konami musician Michiru Yamane and as well as Vincent Diamante, known for FLOWER on PSN and also the 2007 mobile phone game Castlevania: Order of Shadows. http://itunes.apple.com/album/skullgirls-orginal-soundtrack/ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michiruyamane Special thanks to Badoor for the news. For more details and artwork, check Skullgirls' official web site and Reverge Labs' site. http://skullgirls.com/ http://revergelabs.com/

The Madman's Cafe featured in Skullgirls -- Available for PS3 and Xbox360, Buy Now!

Reverge Labs has released their long anticipated title Skullgirls for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game is now avilable for purchase online in North America at the price of $14.99 and 1200MSP, respectively. Created by Alex Ahad and Mike Zaimont, Skullgirls will the first genuine fighting game project deeply embedded with the US fighting game community. The game will continue to make appearances in tournaments worldwide. One-of-a-kind custom joysticks will be awarded as prizes at four of the major upcoming events: Texas Showdown(Houston), PowerUp 2012(Cincinnati, Stunfest(Rennes, France), and the Elite Series Comicon(Toronto, Canada). For more details and artwork, check Skullgirls' official web site and developer site. http://skullgirls.com/ http://revergelabs.com/

Skullgirls Tierchart Maker now up

The MMCafe's Tier Chart Maker has been updated with Skullgirls in the lineup. As usual, you can use it with the default graphs, or you can customize one of your own, like this for example.

 

The King of Fighters XIII - Interview with Top Singapore Player Justius(Skye) w/Tierchart

For enthusiasts that watched the KOFXIII tournament at Major League Gaming, the most epic moment for many of them was unarguably Mr.KOF's matches with "Justius" (Click here for video), an unfamiliar name to the English KOF scene. Better known by his alias Skye, little were people aware that he was actually the top KOF player in Singapore. The following is an interview with Skye, conducted with the help of his fellow friend and hardcore Singapore player Orphen. Also included in this interview is Skye's version of KOFXIII's tier chart, complete with some brief overviews. Full Article >>>

KOF XIII Climax set for April 26 release, production limited to 200 units

The release date for KOF XIII Climax has been set, according to Japanese arcade industry news blog "Aketan". The initial release on April 26 will be a PCB bundle, followed by June with an HDD-only kit. The production will be limited to 200 units. An early leak of the news was made by KOF XIII Tougeki/SBO2010 winner "Oeppu", in which he revealed that the units will be sold at 390,000 yen and 250,000 yen, respectively.

 

Personal 4 Area slated for Japan arades March 1, console version hitting Stateside in summer

Atlus and Arc System Works' Persona 4 fighting game will be hitting Japanese arcades on March 1, followed by a summer release for the PS3 and Xbox360. Its console release has also been confirmed Stateside by Atlus, although it's currently unknown if it will be a simultaneous release with Japan The MMCafe tierchart maker has been updated with the game. Related: Official Site

Logic Fighter tutorials for King of Fighters XIII

A series of knowledgable tutorials for King of Fighters XIII have been released by LogicFighter. Written by Sparkster, the tutorials cover a number of themes including Close-range pressure and anti-Benimaru strategies. Applying Close Range Pressure in KOF On Team Selection and Order On Learning Characters NESTS Kyo Breakdown Benimaru Counter Strategies Related: LogicFighter

Street Fighter x Tekken Art Book slated for release in Japan on April

(The following writeup is an edited re-post from the BBS.) While Street Fighter x Tekken won't be out for a few more weeks, an art book for the game is already in plans. According to 4Gamer.net, "Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks" will feature 192 pages including the illustrations and roughs by Polygon Pictures (the comany behind the artworks and movies), as well as the model/settings sheet used during development. The book features a cover done by Akiman and also a B3 size reversible poster with illustrations by Kinu Nishimura and Shinkiro(in progress). The book also features an interview with Akiman and NamcoBandai art director Mizushima and Kimura. http://www.4gamer.net/games/140/G014005/20120222014/ " Street Fighter x Tekken Artworks" is slated for release in Japan on April 5. The April issue of Gemaga, which will be the next to last issue of the long-running magazine brand, will also feature the same artwork by Kinu but reportedly with less details drawn in.

KOF XIIIcs & Climax info, balance changes & Misc

Details on SNK Playmore's KOFXIII CS and Climax are available here in English.

Capcom Ono responds to CvS3 requests : "We don't know SNKPlaymore"

While Capcom vs SNK 3 seems to be one of the top titles requested to Capcom's Yoshinori Ono by fighting game fans, making it may not be as easy as as the yesteryears. In an interview with Complex.com, a more serious than usual Ono talks about the subject, citing that their relationship with SNK has changed since they've become a different company. "It's a different company now than it was then. We had a lot of connections back then, we were really friendly with one another. But frankly, I don't know a lot of people there right now." Check Complex.com for the full interview and additional comments on what CvS3 could be like if it gets developed. Special thanks to Loona@MMCafeBBS for the news.

Relius Clover Astral Heat Finish collections in BBCSII

Arc System Works' Blazblue Continum Shift II on the Nesica Live arcade system has been updated with a patch for Relius Clover on October 5. Since his release, Relius' Astral Heat insta-kill has been a subject of talk in Japanese forums, being the first Midnight Bliss type move in the game's franchise. Here is a collection of all the opponents when they get hit, turning them into captured victims for his scientific experiments.

Ex-Capcom Keiji Inafune cameos as hostage in girl's date sim game

Keiji Inafune, the former man behind Capcom's Megaman and Dead Rising series, will cameo as a hostage in a PSP date sim game for girls. In Idea Factory's Bakudan Handan, the player will enjoy having a romantic time with the game's heros in a theme park, all the while taking on bomb threats caused by terrorists in animal outfits who've also kidnapped Inafune. Inafune cameos as the main character's uncle, and helps out the player by secretly giving advice through mail. The official site for Bakudan Handan is here. If the art style seems familiar, you've been playing Phoenix Wright; the series' artist Tatsuro Iwamoto is doing these characters. This is the second time that Inafune has had a cameo in a recent game. He also appeared as an in-game weapon and special attack for CompileHeart's summer JRPG release, Neptune mk-2. Related: Official Site

Introducing the MMCafe Arcade Guide

This was a project initially in development before the Japan Tohoku disaster. While the unfortunate event is likely to cause a downfall of visitors to Japan, here is an arcade guide for those in the gaming community who have plans to travel to Tokyo in the future. What's more, the guide is designed towards fighting game players. Check the MMCafe Arcade Guide.