Click here to buy Tekken 6 now

Included in the Tekken 6 Limited Edition Bundle is the video game itself, the aforementioned art book, and most excitingly, the Hori Wireless FightStick. This is the first wireless arcade stick for the Xbox 360 and for the PlayStation 3 and it comes with the quality that the Hori name demands. It features Tekken 6 imagery that mirrors the box art. The Xbox 360 version of this Tekken 6 controller is white, whereas the PS3 version is black. They’re otherwise identical.

In terms of initial impressions, Tekken 6 is everything that I thought it would be. The graphics are quite stunning, but they’re not as breathtaking as some of the other games featured on both home consoles. Don’t expect too much from the backgrounds and that kind of thing. Thankfully, the fighting game engine is beautifully executed and there are a bevy of both online and offline game modes to keep you occupied.

So, how does this Tekken 6 Limited Edition bundle look like in its full glory? Peep the unboxing video in HD embedded below. In the video, you can also see a size comparison of the Hori Wireless Arcade Stick with the regular Xbox 360 controller. It’s roughly twice as wide and while not heavy, it has enough weight to stay put most of the time.

Click here to buy Tekken 6 now

Most fighting game fanatics were pretty freaking excited when Street Fighter IV hit the scene, so imagine how much more excited we’re getting about the upcoming release of Super Street Fighter IV from Capcom. Just as we got several upgraded versions of the previous Street Fighter games, Super Street Fighter IV is supposed to have everything from SFIV and plenty more.

So, what can we expect? Let’s break down what we know so far.

1. What is Super Street Fighter IV?

By all indications, this is much more of a substantial upgrade than the Street Fighter IV Championship Mode, since it is basically a pseudo-sequel in the same way that Super Street Fighter II drastically expanded on Street Fighter II.

2. What is the release date and price?

Initial reports pointed toward a “Spring 2010″ release for both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, but more recent rumors seem to have a firmer date in place. Take it with a grain of salt, but Gamestop has Super Street Fighter IV slated for release on March 31 with a retail price of $40.

3. How many new characters are there? How many are returns and how many are brand new?

The current word is that the Super Street Fighter IV roster will have eight additional characters. It is still unclear how many of these will be brand new characters and how many of these are re-introductions from previous Street Fighter games. There is a distinct possibility that characters from Street Fighter Alpha or Street Fighter III will be making an appearance.

4. Who are the new characters?

The first original character is Juri. She is a Taekwondo expert from South Korea, representing the first Street Fighter character to ever come from that country. She seems to have some variation on the “Soul Power” of Rose or “Psycho Power” of M. Bison, though the exact details are sketchy. Juri also received a bust size change shortly after being announced. By all indications, Juri will not be the only original character introduced in SSFIV.

5. What characters are coming back?

As with Juri, the exact number of returning characters is still unclear. However, it has been confirmed that T. Hawk and Dee-Jay from Super Street Fighter II will be in Super Street Fighter IV. Since Cammy and Fei Long made the cut already, that completes the squad of four from SSFII.

6. Any major gameplay changes?

One of the bigger changes is that each character will have more than one Ultra Combo. Most characters, from what I can gather, will have two Ultra Combos of some kind. For example, Guile will probably end up with a Sonic Hurricane and some super form of the Flash Kick. Chances are that some of the special, EX, super, and ultra moves will be tweaked in some way or another too.

7. Will Super Street Fighter IV go to arcades first?

Seeing how the tentative console release is in March, I think it’s unlikely that we’ll see an arcade release of the game first, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. For now, Capcom says that it is undecided on the matter.

8. Anything else I should know?

Super Street Fighter IV is going to be awesome. If you liked Street Fighter IV and have grown accustomed to the new art style and gameplay elements, you’ll feel right at home. At least, I hope so. On a side note, Abel was a girl during development. How’s that for weird? You can also stay tuned to the official Street Fighter site for updates on SSFIV.

9. Videos please!

Okay, enjoy!

You knew that destroying someone’s perfectly good car like that wouldn’t go unpunished right? Even if you’re a vet of the military, you’re not immune to the laws of the land, Guile. Charlie would be ashamed of you.

(Click to see full size image with animation)

Street Fighter IV: Controllers, Sequels, and Sprites, OH MY!

Remember how Street Fighter II became SFII Tournament Edition, SFII Hyper Fighting, Super SFII, and so on? There were rumors that Capcom was going to start heading down that path with Street Fighter IV as well. There’s still rumblings of a sequel, but it seems the first sequel is just some updated controllers. The Mad Catz line of Street Fighter controllers has a “round two” batch, including the new Arcade Stick shown above. If you prefer, there’s also a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 version coming out this fall too.

For the rumored sequel, which some people are calling Street Fighter IV Dash, we could be expected a barrage of additional characters. The rumors point toward Ibuki, Makoto and Dudley from SF3; DeeJay and T-Hawk from SSF2; Guy, Cody and Adon from Alpha; and two completely new world warriors.

Have you wondered what Street Fighter IV would look like if it was imported into a Street Fighter III universe? Behold the 2D sprites of SFIV characters. Rufus looks particularly amusing, I think.

Tekken 6: Get Ready to Go Wireless with Naruto

I’m really looking forward to the release of Tekken 6 next month, partly for the game, but mostly for the bundle that’ll include a wireless arcade stick from Hori. More details about the controller have been released. From what I hear, the $150 bundle will include Tekken 6, an artbook, and the wireless Hori FightStick. This is the first wireless arcade stick for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, giving you up to 32 feet of range and up to 40 hours of battery life.

We can also expect a myriad of console-specific costumes when Tekken 6 drops, including some from Naruto. Akatsuki rising with Yoshimitsu?

ClayFighter, Tatsunoko, and iPhone Fighting Games

It won’t be a sequel or an HD remix, but Interplay is working on bringing ClayFighter as a downloadable game. They mention WiiWare and DSiWare, though it’s possible that PSN and XBLA could get in on the action too.

The full roster for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (US home edition) has been leaked. In addition to the character list we already see in the Japanese version, we could be seeing Zero (Mega Man X), Yatterman No. 2 (Yatterman), Joe Asakura (Gatchaman), and Frank West (Dead Rising). As far as we can tell, Phoenix Wright probably won’t make the cut though we could hope for an objection!

Want some fighting action on the iPhone? It’s not exactly Soul Calibur but Blades of Fury seems awfully similar. You can find it through the App Store for $6.99. Alternatively, you can wait for Namco to get its Tekken and Soul Calibur act together.

Something old, something new. Something borrowed and something blue. It seems that all the fighting game fans in the audience have a little something to be excited about this week, because we’re seeing the much-anticipated release of two hot fighting games.

We’ve been looking forward to King of Fighters XII for quite some time, especially since we saw the incredible hand-drawn graphics. It really could be the most beautiful 2D fighting game of all-time (or Street Fighter IV) and it won a whole whack of awards during its showing at E3 2009 in Los Angeles last month. And now King of Fighters XII has hit the retail shelves for your fighting game pleasure.

As great as the game may look, KOF XII is apparently not without its faults. We already know that the roster does not include the Mai “Me Bouncy” Shiranui, but it turns out that they crippled Iori too. He doesn’t have his fireball anymore and he doesn’t have that triple QCB combo move either. It’s just a series of “scratching moves,” according to early reviews. Further still, King of Fighters XII is buggy and lacking in story. Shame.

Heading over to Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) on the Xbox 360, we find the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2. It’ll be heading to the PlayStation Network (PSN) on the PlayStation 3 first thing tomorrow morning, which is only a few hours away. The full roster is here, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of unlocking everyone. Feel like pitting Zangief against the Hulk? Ryu against Wolverine? Spider-Man against Mega Man? It’s all there.

And you’ve got a hip hop mixtape on the way too. Sweet. Marvel vs. Capcom costs $15 on PSN and 1200 MS Points on XBLA.

We’ve been hearing about the pending release of this game for a while, so it’s great to see that King of Fighters XII finally get an official release date for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. We were initially told that the fighting game would be ready for the summer, but now we know that the official release date is July 28. That’s only a few days away! [KOF12]

If you happen to be over at Comic-Con, you’ll have the opportunity to pick up some special edition Mad Catz Street Fighter IV tournament Fight Sticks with limited edition artwork. There are only going to be 500 units in all and they’ll sell for $179.99. The artwork is meant to mirror the scar on Sagat’s chest. FightPads will also be available for $49.99. [Crunchgear]

Speaking of Mad Catz fighting game controllers, you can get equivalent versions without the Street Fighter art too. Find them on Play-Asia for $150. [Gizmodo]

While we’re on the subject of Street Fighter IV, the PC version has hit the primetime and the modders have taken to it like a fat kid on candy. They’re creating custom costumes and swapping move sets at will. So confusing.

Want to take a path off the beaten path? From the same guys that brought us Guilty Gear comes BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. The overall reviews have been reasonably positive, citing the terrific artwork and fast-paced gameplay, but the game isn’t without its faults. [Kotaku]

The Summer of Xbox Live Arcade kicked off earlier this week with ‘Splosion Man, but fighting game freaks will be able to get their fix early next week when Marvel vs. Capcom 2 launches on the Xbox 360’s XBLA. That’s for July 29. PlayStation 3 owners will have to wait a little to get their nostalgic tag-team action fix, since the game hits PSN on July 30th. [TechShout]

Midway has seen brighter days, but at least the near-bankrupt company is going to stay alive under the Warner Bros. banner. The movie studio has snatched up all rights to Mortal Kombat so that Midway can stay alive. On a related note, they’re making a third Mortal Kombat movie too. [Kotaku and Slashfilm]

We’ve got a whole lot of news about fighting games coming down the chute, so let’s get down to it.

First off, we have this incredible Akuma statue from Katon Callaway. He measures about 12-inches tall, is filled with all sorts of raging demons, and will retail for $120 this September. [CobraCaptain]

Even though it doesn’t have the same kind of graphical prowess, Street Fighter IV for the Wii is still a distinct possibility. Several alterations will have to be made of course, but we’ll keep this within the realm of possibility. [SFB]

From the same people that brought you Guilty Gear, we’re looking forward to BlazBlue. This 2D fighter is being slated for release on the Sony PS3, but you’ll be able to use Remote Play on the PSP as well. [Kotaku]

In case you didn’t notice, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 didn’t make its expected arrival on PSN and Xbox Live this week. It shouldn’t be too long, however, as the new release date has it pushed into the month of July. In the meantime, we can also look forward to the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom hip hop mixtape. Yes, you read that correctly. [Kotaku]

If you’re like me, then you were probably disappointed with the subdued violence in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Fear not. If Midway manages to find its way out of this whole bankruptcy fiasco, Mortal Kombat 9 will be much more violent. Bring back the gore! Bring back the decapitations! Bring back the gratuitous blood! [NewLaunches]

Tekken 6 may have been released in Japanese arcades in 2007, but it’s heading to home consoles this October 27. To coincide with the launch, you’ll be able to pick up the bundle depicted above for either the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Unlike the Street Fighter IV bundle that came with a figurine, DVD, and music soundtrack, the Tekken 6 bundle will come with an artbook and a HORI Wireless FightStick. Arcade sticks are awesome! The bundle will be $150. [TechEBlog]

Also related to Tekken 6, we’ll see the arrival of Penny Arcade’s cardboard tube samurai as an alternate outfit for Yoshimitsu [1Up] and a new story-based campaign mode that has you killing kangaroos at will. [Kotaku]

I think most of us would agree that Zangief’s move set is pretty outrageous and probably wouldn’t translate very well to a “real” wrestling ring. Well, it turns out that we are quite wrong. Here is a professional (?) wrestler who recreates Zangief’s Ultra Move from Street Fighter IV, starting with a spinning lariat, moving into a German suplex, connecting into a tossing backbreaker, and yes, even capping it off with a tossing and spinning piledriver. Holy schmoly!

So, were there fighting games at E3 Expo 2009 in Los Angeles this week? Of course there were! And even though I didn’t see SNK Playmore on the list of exhibitors, King of Fighters XII was indeed there in full force through the Ignition Entertainment booth. Nothing too out of the ordinary there, but there is a great article on fighting games at Futurelooks.com. Check it out for coverage on:

• Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
• Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny
• TMNT Smash-Up
• Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny
• Tekken 6

E3 Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center is just around the corner, so it’s only fitting that we round up all the fighting game news leading up to this monumental event. Let’s see what Capcom and SNK are up to these days.

Capcom

• Expect to see a regionalized version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars at the show and it will likely be playable. The North American launch should be relatively soon, even if it’ll probably be perceived as Street Fighter for Dummies by some.
• Can’t get enough of the cheesy Street Fighter IV soundtrack? Then buy the two-disc OST for ten bucks.

SNK Playmore

• Looking at the floor plans for E3 2009, I don’t see any mention of SNK Playmore making an appearance. Does that mean we won’t be able to see anything new with King of Fighters XII?
• If you happen to be in the LA area, however, feel free to check out the KOF XII tournament on Saturday, May 30. It’ll be at Element, Hollywood.
• To help prepare you for the imminent launch of this terrific fighting game, check out the assortment of combo videos that have been uploaded to the ‘net. Just don’t expect to see any panties or nipples.
• It seems like SNK Playmore is still working on the cover art and they want your input.
• You can also expect to see King of Fighters XII DLC and console-specific modes. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will not be identical.