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.

Street Fighter IV

• The PC version is almost here and it’s coming as a $60 bundle with the Mad Catz FightPad. (1Up)

King of Fighters XII

• The official website is now live at kingoffighters12.com.
• The ESRB rating does not mention suggestive content, leading us to believe that Mai’s “me bouncy” bosom won’t be so bouncy. (ESRB)
• Here’s looking at the box art. Japan and USA.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

• … might be coming to PSN (PS3) and XBLA (Xbox 360) on June 29, 2009. (TechEBlog)
• They are not necessarily working on Marvel vs. Capcom 3. (1Up)

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

• Is coming to the PSP and we’ve got the trailer. Looks badass

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Late last month, Capcom released a new “Championship Mode” for Street Fighter IV, making the expansion pack available as free downloadable content (DLC). We had already been enjoying the awesome new fighting game for a couple of months, so I guess it was time to give the brawler a bit of an update.

Since the expansion pack was absolutely free, I was quick to download the new Street Fighter IV Championship Mode expansion pack. While it includes the ability to record replays of your matches and track your moves, the real draw is the new championship mode for peer-to-peer online battles. The old Player Match was a casual way to play some Street Fighter IV with buddies on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Ranked Match let you earn battle points based on your wins and losses. The problem with both of these scenarios is that you were oftentimes matched with someone who had a very different skill level than you. Championship Mode alleviates that.

You are given a ranking based on how you perform within Championship Mode and then you are matched up accordingly with people who have a similar rank. Everyone starts out in the “G3″ section of the tournaments, representing the lowest tier of players. Within this tier, there are a series of grades, ranging for E to A. You start out as a G3-E player and, after you accumulate enough grade points, you can upgrade to G3-D, G3-C, and so on. After you conquer G3, you can move on to the G2 tier.

The interesting thing is that this is not on a match-to-match basis. With Street Fighter IV’s Championship Mode, points are distributed through a series of mini-tournaments. Each tourney starts out with eight players in a single-elimination configuration. In this way, you must win three consecutive matches to win the tournament. You earn championship points (CP) based on how well you win your matches and then you are given a certain number of grade points (GP) at the end of the tourney, based on the number of CP you earned. It sounds more complicated than it really is.

G3 players will only get matched up against other G3 players, and they will usually be paired up based on their grade as well. You may have the occasional G3-E vs G3-A, but those are surprisingly rare.

The other major feature added in Street Fighter IV Championship Mode is the “blind” character selection screen. You cannot see the character that your opponent is selecting or vice versa. This fixes the problem of players who wait it out and always select “counters” in their matches.

Overall, I’m very pleased with what Championship Mode brings to the Street Fighter IV table and, really, you can’t beat the price of free.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Coming to XBLA, PSN
There were rumors last year and now a handful of achievements have popped up that further confirm this development. Some of the Xbox Achievements are pretty typical, like winning a certain number of online matches, but there are also specific mentions of gaining some GamerScore points by forming teams themed around DarkStalkers or Avengers. (Source)

Street Fighter IV News Roundup
It’s coming this week and it’s going to be free. The highly anticipated Championship Mode DLC is coming on April 24th and it allows for on-screen display of input keys, the ability to download replays to the hard drive, and more. (Source)

Seeing Sagat consistently hit the top of the power rankings is one thing, but seeing it in action is another thing altogether. Wondering how Blanka stacks up against Abel? Chun-Li against Gouken? Go to Street Fighter Dojo, form any pairing of back alley combatants, and a range of YouTube videos with that each match will pop up. Pretty cool to learn some strategies, I think.

Build your own Street Fighter IV arcade cabinet for under $1500? Yes you can! Well, this guy did. He took a 32-inch Sony LCD, a PS3, and a pair of Mad Catz TE FightSicks, tossing them all into a pretty convincing cabinet. It’s the arcade Street Fighter experience in the comfort of your mom’s basement! (Souce)

Screenshots Galore: KOF XII and Tekken 6

Tekken 6 screenshots (some more here) and King of Fighters XII screenshots are springing up everywhere and fighting game fans couldn’t be more excited. These two titles couldn’t be more different, but they are both beautiful in their own unique ways.

And the Loose Ends

Midway’s going under. That much is clear, but what’s going to happen to Mortal Kombat? Almost all the money is gone, but at least three companies have expressed interest in buying Midway: Ubisoft, Warner Bros, and a private Chicago investor. I just hope they take MK back to 2D.

To finish off this massive roundup of fighting game news, sit back and watch the master do his worst in Street Fighter IV. Here’s legendary Japan Street Fighter champ Daigo in action:

The guys at GameTrailers have compiled what they believe to be the top ten fighting games of all-time. I found the name of this list to be quite the misnomer, because they are not describing the top ten best fighting games. Instead, they are describing different franchises. For instance, they are clumping the original Mortal Kombat in with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as a single “game.” That’s not terribly accurate.

While you won’t find too much in terms of surprises here, it’s great to see the old and new footage blended together for nostalgia’s sake. I don’t really agree with placing Tekken so low and putting Guilty Gear so high, but deciding on what is the best fighting game is largely a subjective matter. It’s pretty easy to guess which franchise made it to number one.

Street Fighter IV

Does that video above impress you? It should, because it’s from the Street Fighter IV National Finals in Korea. This is the best of the best going at it in one of the greatest fighting games our generation has ever seen. Street Fighter IV has really re-ignited interest in fighting games and, more specifically, fighting game tournaments.

Speaking of videos, check out this one filled with simultaneous super and ultra moves from the same character. Some cancel out completely; others result in equal damage.

If you’re tired of Tea House and the Beach, then you’ll want the new Street Fighter iGoogle themes. I’m rocking the Street Fighter theme myself and it’s pretty awesome.

Do you have a favorite Street Fighter IV character? How does he or she stack up against the competition. An updated ranking chart has been released, showing us that this game is very balanced. Sagat still sits at the top of the heap, but I’m a little upset to see how low Guile and E.Honda have been placed.

King of Fighters XII

If you’re more into the SNK side of the versus fighting games equation, you’ll be glad to hear that King of Fighters XII has finally received an official US launch date. The hand-drawn gorgeousness of KOF12 is scheduled to hit retailers on July 7th. They’re also planning a tournament in Los Angeles that will likely coincide with the release. Check the official page for more info.

This has to be one of the strangest blasts from the past I have ever encountered. Do you remember this Street Fighter Saturday morning cartoon series? SONIC BOOM!