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May
- June 2010 Feedback
Fastg35's Fighting Game Characters in Mod Nation Form!
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Frank replies:
Wow man... I can't get over the attention to detail. Awesome customizations... it actually makes me want to give Modnation Racers
another look (I've only tried the demo). If I could go through the game with
Iori, I think it'd be a bit more fun for me. lol. ^_^ Awesome
work Christian. Thanks for sharing. TFG Webmaster
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The Future of Fighting. . .
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Hello F. Yagami,
I've been a big fan and follower of TFG for the past decade but never
sent an e-mail or anything like that. So, firstly, thank you for
all your hard work in making TFG THE go to site for fighting game
news, updates, and information. It's a godsend. As a
fellow practitioner of martial arts (and a Florida grown boy as well),
I view you as a kindred spirit and it is good to see someone out there
who follows a similar mentality and appreciation for things like
martial arts and video games. So thank you, once more.
On to the bulk of my message!
I believe that we stand on a precipice of the fighting game, as well
as the video game world at large. I, like yourself, was around
for the days of arcades and several dozen dollars worth of quarters
given to those arcades, as well as the hours of my life it took up.
Then, the genre went silent and died for several years. It was
probably for the best as I went on to concentrate on many other things
in my school life at the time. I first got BACK into the genre
with Tekken 4. Something about Jin's new fighting style and
Steve's rebirth of the boxer attracted me to the game. Slowly
but surely I delved back into the genre I used to love so much and am
now a religious follower and player of the genre once more.
As I was saying, I believe we stand on the precipice of something new.
The genre has returned and proved itself once more (with the roaring
success of games like Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6, and the cult
following of BlazBlue). The announcement of Tekken 7, the return
of Mortal Kombat to its grittier roots, the return of MvC 3 (SWEET!)
and with KoF once more proving itself as a great game, the future
looks bright for us advents. Now, all these games have the
things demanded by the modern gamer: multiple modes, online game play
that doesn't lag (for the most part), customizable content,
achievements and great graphics/physics engines.
My question for you is the following: Where to next? What
should the genre be pushing in terms of boundaries? What is the
next step into upping the game of the genre so it can compete with the
big shooter titles (which are too alike in my opinion)? Can we
expect more riveting stories? Obviously, 3D will eventually
become an asset, but that is just another gimmick in my opinion.
What do you, master of TFG, want to see in a truly next gen game and
what will make the genre stronger?
Thanks for the time and Long Live TFG!
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-JB Vanier
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Frank replies: A
fellow Floridian aye? I regard you as a kindred spirit as well, not only
for your location but your interests too. ;)
You're right, the fighting genre is indeed alive and well in 2010... and
quite honestly I don't think it's ever been better. Even considering the
days when fighting games ruled arcades; the amount of exposure, sequels,
and new ideas that the genre has shown in the past few years is truly
unrivaled. Sometimes it's easy to forget that the genre used to be
primarily limited to arcades.
Back in the day you simply couldn't play the latest and greatest games
unless you lived near a thriving arcade and had a
reliable source of transportation. Nowadays, the top games of the fighting
genre are far more accessible; with console releases usually succeeding
the arcade versions in a variety of ways, and an unprecedented amount of
exposure and recognition. Needless to say, I too have been impressed with
this generation of fighting games and yet I'm still looking forward to
what lies ahead. We've certainly come a long way haven't we?
Now to answer your question. . . What's next? Competing with the
mainstream shooting games seems like a lost cause... because we all know
pulling a trigger is 10,000 times easier than beating someone down with
your bare fists. Hey, fighting games were never cut out for the
casual gamer anyway. ;) All in all, I think the fighting genre needs to
continue to stick to it's roots. With the continued success of games like
Street Fighter, Tekken, and Blazblue; I think it's safe to say that we'll
soon be seeing the likes of motion controlled fighting games and other
attempts at "re-defining" the genre, but the truth is... the
majority of us players and lovers of fighting games want to play
them like we remember them.
We want to use controllers, we want life bars, we want new and improved
graphics and gameplay features, and we want rewarding and competitive
gameplay. I do think an aspect that many fighting game franchises can
improve upon, is a deeper story element. Even though it's a more cosmetic
aspect to a fighting game, those of us that have been inspired by the
story and the characters for all these years do appreciate such things. ;)
Thanks very much for the mail, friend. TFG Webmaster
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What's Wrong with SNK?!?
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Hey Frankie,
I would like to know what's is wrong with SNK Playmore these days
(from a player's point of view). They used to be Capcom's biggest
rivals in terms of fighting games but lately, they seem to slip more
and more into failures. For example, KOF XII has good gameplay
and very good visuals, but with a messy online, no arcade mode, lack
of stages, lack of characters and even removal of special moves,
it easily looks like the weakest game in the KOF series, as if they
missed their transition to next-gen consoles. More recently, Samurai
Shodown got a messy transition to next-gen consoles with Sen/Edge of
Destiny, with lackluster graphics, weak controls and lack of features,
not to mention that the console version is XBox
360-exclusive. Finally, they are remaking Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum with
updated sprites and online mode... so far for Japan only... for XBLA
only (right guys... because we all know that the 360 is the best
selling console in Japan right now).
I've been pondering on that matter and something came up to me: For
KOF, why didn't they used the 3D models from the Maximum Impact games
and make an fighting engine on a 2D plane, like Street Fighter IV ?
For Samurai Shodown, why didn't they go for a 2D plane engine instead
of a Soul Calibur-like engine ? I mean, SNK is supposed to be the
rival of Capcom, so why don't they do the same as Capcom, as well finding
a way to improve it ? Tatsunoko vs Capcom and [Super] Street Fighter
IV work well with such a system, so why not apply it to other IPs
?
What is your take on this matter Frankie ? What would you suggest that
SNK should do if they don't want to to go bankrupt... again ? (I'm
saying this because I've read from many interviews that if KOF XIII
doesn't do well, the company goes bye-bye.) I know that SNK might want
to keep 2D fighting games alive, but at this rate, they're going to be
the ones who gonna have to be kept alive. Beside, Capcom is still
making 2D fighting games, except that they're using 3D models and
stages instead of sprites, but it is still a fighting game that uses a
2D plane only.
Thanks for your answer,
-Jean-Christophe Goyette, a.k.a JiCi (Montreal, Canada)
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Frank replies:
You make a good point... SNK seems to be playing catch up these days.
I put quite a bit of time into KOF 12 and enjoyed it for a while, but I
think I was being a bit generous with that "7 out of 10" I gave
it. ;/ It just seemed so rush... and I'm pretty disappointment that the
quality DLC never happened... I guess they're "saving the good
stuff" for KOF 13, rather than release DLC for a game that not many
people are playing.
Samurai Shodown Sen was an even bigger disappointment, especially to a
long-time Samurai Shodown fan like myself... y'know, I would've even
bought the damn game if it came out on PS3, but nooooo. Why the 360
exclusivity? That's really not helping you SNK. *Insert 360-fanboy
comment* Like any true Samurai Shodown fan, I want to see a next-gen 2D
Samurai Shodown with huge HD sprites and classic gameplay... as far as KOF
goes, I think they should stick to 2D and continue enhancing the KOF 12
engine.
I've also read that if KOF 13 fails, the company will be in big
trouble... and I'm a little worried after seeing their last few efforts.
I'm confident KOF XIII will be a better game, I just hope it sells... for
SNK's sake. In the end it's up to the fans like us to support them, so
let's not let them down. ;) TFG Webmaster
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Juri = Slap in the face for Korean fans of Street Fighter. . .
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Hey Frank!
Much like you, I've been a fan of Street Fighter since I was a kid.
And Just like you've said, A Korean Tae Kwon Do character has been
long overdue, especially since King Of Fighters,Soul Calibur, and
Tekken have had them when they first started, which was way more than
a decade ago.
As you know, with the release of Super Street Fighter 4,a game that
puts emphasis on stereotypes, Capcom finally placed a Korean character.
As a korean fan myself, I was rather excited, and was about to ditch
my original SF4 mains Ken and Sagat BEFORE realizing who the person
was. ಠ_ಠ
Juri has got to be the WORST SF character I have seen; even Rufus has
nothing on her for worst of the worst. Honestly, WHAT DO PEOPLE SEE IN
HER!?!?! I've noticed that everyone has said that she was attractive,
when she isn't even in the slightest whatsoever, Whereas May Lee (King
Of Fighters) and Seong Mina (Soul Calibur) were far more attractive
young women. Juri's design blows pretty damn hard too, and the fact
that she is a villain, and a bad one at that earns her a nominee as my
least favorite of all fighting game characters.
So yeah, because SF focus on stereotypes a lot, People will think
"Oh Korean people are bad, and the Japanese are good people"
Even though Japan did so many horrendous stuff to koreans and Chinese
people in the past.P.S. (I'm not racist against Japanese people, fyi.
My girlfriend is Japanese) Yeah, thanks a lot Capcom. Thanks a lot. ¬_¬
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-Hong Gene Chul (Austin, Texas)
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Frank replies:
Hmm... Though I can respect your opinion of Juri, I have to disagree.
I think Capcom wanted to create a "cool" female TKD fighter, and
what better way to make someone cool than to make them a villain,
right!? >;D She's also very unique as you know, because she's the first
truly evil TKD character to ever appear in a fighting game (besides
Urban Reign, which sort of doesn't count). Heh.
I didn't know what to make of her at first, but she's definitely grown on
me as a design. Her fighting style is awesome, her look is original, her
outfit is sexy; and it even makes sense why that rather large
"hole" is cut in her pants (besides showing off her panties)....
See, some of those insanely high kicks she does would be really hard to do
with tight pants. ;)
In closing, not ALL Street Fighter characters are stereotypes, and
I don't believe Juri was meant to be one in any way. She's actually my #1
favorite character to be introduced in the Street Fighter IV
series, but I'm aware that she's not everyone's cup of tea. Once again,
thanks for your opinion... it's an interesting angle none the less. TFG Webmaster
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Spider-man
in MVC3. . .
This
is a bit of news I've been sitting on as I have learned my lesson and do not
wish to rush into blabbing it until I could double-check my sources. I
had found out from a friend of mine, the owner of the Comic Book Store,
"Buried Under Comics" in Manchester, CT told me that although the
initial plan was for him to be in the game, Spiderman is likely not to
appear. I was shocked but I believe him. He was a Capcom rep
back in 1988 through 1996 before settling into another medium that he loved.
He told me he still has ties to Capcom USA and they brought the news from
the grapevine along to him.
Today,
I finally got a secondary source on the same thing. One of the
Capcom USA Service Reps, (the one who told me long before that the extended
material for Street Fighter IV was being debated about whether or not it
would be Download or a new disc) got back to me and he said the same thing.
What
is going on is Activision holds the current rights to Spiderman and aren't
willing to let Capcom have permission to use Spiderman or any related
Spiderman characters unless Capcom pays an exorbitant
royalty fee. My Service Rep contact also told me that Capcom USA
already has a PR Rep on standby preparing a statement to the gaming
community if they can't come to an agreement with Activision.
This
is two firm contact I most truthfully believe but I please ask you look into
this yourself as well. We might get some good news and agreement will
be found but if its not... well, don't be surprised if you're a fan of
Spiderman in the Capcom games.
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Frank replies:
Thanks for
sharing this info... Marvel VS Capcom 3 without Spider-man?!? I'm
not the biggest Spider-man fan in the world or anything, but that would
disappoint me for sure. Knowing Capcom, they'll work something out...
hopefully. :0 TFG Webmaster
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John replies: Agreed.
Fortunately, thanks to updates from my Capcom Contact, it seems they
are likely to get Spiderman as things have progressed. However,
progression almost broke entirely when certain Capcom lawyers tried to
push Activision's with a promise of paying the original fee if they
were allowed more than just Spiderman. Hoo boy.
Activision is hurting and
they're willing to shake Capcom down for whatever money they can. The
reason for that is because they want to at least include the Green
Goblin as the storyline is looking to be a run-down of events from
Civil War/World War Hulk/Secret Invasion/Dark Reign...
Still, at least we're likely to get Spiderman.
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SSF IV Bonus?
Greetings from Glasgow Scotland, I was
just wondering as you have Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV, I
was wondering what that bonus was Capcom said you'd get if you still had the
Street Fighter IV disc was, is it any good or just something crappy like one
extra colour or something or something pretty worth while like an extra art
gallery of concept art?
Whatever it is please get back to me whenever you get the chance, still loving
the site after however many years I've been watching it, keep up the good
work.
Thanks man,
-Will
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Frank replies:
The bonus is 2 extra colors for each character, which are more like
graphical filters... they're alright. The think is, you don't really need
to hold onto your disk, because you'll get the bonus as long as the game
data is on your system. ;) TFG Webmaster
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I thought I'd share this. . .
Hey,
I don't know if this would be interesting for you, but even before Tekken 6
was out I made a Sony Ericsson Theme.
It's actually became quite popular and found it's way through the internet to
some theme sites ( without my permission of course :D )
Since you specialize in fighting video games and Tekken 6 is one of your favs
I'd thought I'd share it with you and the rest of the TFG community.
Here's the link to it: http://skein.deviantart.com/art/Tekken-6-Sony-Ericsson-Theme-141723805
Hope you like it and any comments are welcome.
-Mihhail A. AKA Skein
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Frank replies:
Thanks for sharing your theme! I don't own a Sony Ericson myself, but
if I did I'd definitely be using this theme! Good job. ;) TFG Webmaster
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Fighting
games on iPad/iPhone & Mortal Kombat. . .
Dear Frankie,
I am looking for an honest opinion for fighting games on the iPad and iPhone,
because I don't think this is the best platform for fighting games. Sure the
touch screen and tilting is good, but it suits more genres than others, such
as platforming and light gun games. There are some fighting games, but are
they worth the money with other stuff? Not for me, I don't listen to music
that much. I was going to get the iPad to draw fan art, but I don't think I
would draw correctly without a proper pen recognition. I'd prefer to get a
tablet, but nothing beats pen and paper. So no Apple for me.
I was thinking about swapping my PS2 for an Xbox 360, but now my first choice
is PS3 on your advice, I got a new HDTV, and internet, I know something's
missing.
Ironically, while I was searching Mortal Kombat bashing based on your
hilarious feedback, I found this. It's old, and it's bad. BAD! I've heard of
this case before, part of a case study on video game violence, thought this
was on WWE, but I was wrong. I think they used Scorpion's fake Hapkido, And
that's a worse image in my head than I first imagined. You're right, MK gives
all video games a bad name. http://bit.ly/aeCjWw
-Chris Dale
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Frank replies: I haven't jumped onto the
"iBandwagon" myself (probably
never will)... and for
the record, touch screens are not fighting game friendly (and never will
be). 
You're right, it
suits other genres much better... although I still think it's kinda cool they
even made a fighting game work with touch controls. Fighting games on
touch systems will end up being novelties & entertainment more than
anything else, which is not what a true fighting game is of course.
;) I agree with you on the
drawing thing too, which would be the only reason I'd get an iPad... but
you're absolutely right, nothing beats a pencil & paper.
I still recommend the PS3... I hardly have enough time for all the games I'm
playing on PS3, much less games on another platforms! ;) And more
importantly, I prefer using the Dual Shock for nearly all fighting games.
;)
Heh... MK was good when arcades in America were still
alive, but all of the console-exclusive MK games after the turn of the millennium had last-gen
gameplay engines and clunky controls. Seems like all Mortal Kombat is good for
these days is shock value,
explicit violence & gore... and seemingly being a factor in causing moronic kids to commit acts of violence against other kids. As far
as I'm concerned, MK is dead in the hardcore fighting game world and is barely
holding on in the entertainment world. MK9 looks halfway decent,
but Boon and the new MK crew have a lot to prove. For the record,
Scorpion still doesn't know Hapkido from a yeast infection...
And just to state the obvious, that story is really sad... those kids deserve to be locked up for a good
48 years. Thanks for the mail Chris. TFG Webmaster
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