All Articles: Street Fighter II

Nintendo Download: Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, Disgaea 5 Complete, more

Posted on May 25, 2017 by John Scalzo

The Switch is about to become a more exciting place this weekend as Nintendo has added a number of new games to the Nintendo eShop as part of this week’s Nintendo Download…

First up is Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, a brand new re-release of 1991’s most popular fighting game. Featuring enhanced graphics courtesy of Udon Entertainment, Capcom will also add two characters (Evil Ryu and Violent Ken) to the game, as well as a first-person “Way of the Hado” minigame, and other new features. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will be available to download for the Switch beginning tomorrow, May 26.

But if you’re looking to pick something up today, Disgaea 5 Complete is available to download through the Nintendo eShop now. NIS America’s tactical RPG is the newest entry in the Disgaea franchise, and the Complete edition brings it to the Switch for the first time, along with eight bonus scenarios, four extra characters, and three character classes that were originally only available as downloadable content.

You can learn more about both of these games, and the rest of the new additions to the Nintendo eShop, after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged ,

New Retail Releases: Ultra Street Fighter II, Disgaea 5 Complete, Rime, More

Posted on May 21, 2017 by John Scalzo

After recording a huge retail victory in April, Nintendo and its third-party partners are storming back this week with another batch of fresh Switch software.

Leading things off, Capcom will release Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers for the Switch on Friday, May 26. The publisher is hoping that this re-release will introduce the arcade classic to an entirely new generation, but it also includes a brand new first-person minigame, new color variations for all characters, and two new fighters (Evil Ryu and Violent Ken). Another re-release will make its way to the Switch this week courtesy of NIS America. The import house will launch Disgaea 5 Complete on Nintendo’s console, which will include the original strategy RPG and all of its downloadable content.

If you’re looking for new and never-before-seen games this week, Tequila Works will bring their puzzle platformer Rime to the PS4 and Xbox One. Featuring a unique and moody graphical style, the exploration game should offer an interesting change of pace.

Finally this week, THQ Nordic will bring the original Darksiders to the Wii U as Darksiders: Warmastered Edition. This new version of the action/adventure game include enhanced visuals and redone graphical effects.

A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,

The World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 includes Halo, Pokemon Red/Blue, Street Fighter II, and Donkey Kong

Posted on May 4, 2017 by John Scalzo

The debate has ended for another year and the induction committee from the World Video Game Hall of Fame is ready to announce their Class of 2017. Drum roll, please…

This year’s first new addition to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games’s Hall of Fame is Donkey Kong. Nintendo’s first big hit became an arcade sensation in 1980, and also introduced the world to a mustachioed plumber named Mario. On the game’s selection, ICHEG Director Jon-Paul Dyson said, “[Donkey Kong’s] overarching narrative of love and its vibrant graphics brought the game to life in a way that few other games could in the early 1980s. It captured the hearts of a generation.”

This year’s class also includes Halo: Combat Evolved, Bungie’s groundbreaking first person shooter and the game that put Microsoft’s Xbox on the map. Curator Shannon Symonds said, “[Halo] boasted one of the strongest multiplayer experiences of its time and created a legion of hardcore fans that refer to themselves as the ‘Halo Nation.’ ”

Hot off the heels of the launch of Pokemon Go, the Hall of Fame also chose to induct Pokemon Red and Blue, the first pair of games released in the far-reaching RPG franchise. The universal appeal of the franchise was a major factor in its selection, as Symonds added: “Pokemon Red and Blue launched a franchise that has taken the world by storm, vaulting many of its characters, such as Pikachu, into popular, mainstream culture. Nearly two decades after its inception and with the introduction of Pokemon Go, ‘Poke-mania’ shows little sign of fading.”

Finally, Capcom’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior became the first one-on-one fighting game to be added to the Hall of Fame as the final member of the Class of 2017. ICHEG Assistant Director Jeremy Saucier believes that Street Fighter II’s social component fueled its popularity, adding, “This communal style of game play reinvigorated the arcade industry in the 1990s and helped give birth to a generation of fighting games.”

Congratulations to all of this year’s inductees.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame chose to deny entry to eight other finalists this year including Final Fantasy VII, Microsoft Windows Solitaire, Mortal Kombat, Myst, Portal, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Wii Sports. But they’ll get another shot. Nominations are already being accepted for the Class of 2018.

Posted in News, Retro | Tagged , , ,

Learn all about Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers in this new trailer

Posted on April 18, 2017 by John Scalzo

Capcom wants to educate all would-be World Warriors with a new trailer for Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. The Switch-exclusive remake is set to launch on May 26, and it’ll include a wide variety of new features and modes to revitalize the 25-year-old game.

Ultra Street Fighter II will add two new characters to the game (Evil Ryu and Violent Ken), as well a first-person “Way of the Hado” Mode, Touchscreen Super Moves, two-on-one Buddy Battles, a Character Color Editor, and Arcade Standby for online play.

Ultra Street Fighter II will also include two soundtrack options (“Classic” and “New Generation”), and Capcom has created a special sampler video for players interested in a preview of the new music. You can find it after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

World Video Game Hall of Fame announces 12 finalists for the Class of 2017

Posted on March 28, 2017 by John Scalzo

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior fought against Mortal Kombat for the hearts (and quarters) of arcade players in the early 90s. Next month, they’ll square off again as two (of the 12) finalists the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017.

Announced this morning by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games, this year’s finalists also include Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy VII, Halo: Combat Evolved, Myst, Pokemon Red and Blue, Portal, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Wii Sports, and Windows Solitaire.

“These 12 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists span decades, gaming platforms, and countries of origin… but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture,” said Jon-Paul C. Dyson, the Director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Whether it’s a pop culture icon like Donkey Kong, an innovator and true original like Portal, or a game like Wii Sports that transformed millions of living rooms into interactive zones for all ages, they’re among the most influential games of all time.”

An international advisory committee made up of journalists and scholars familiar with the history of video games will advise the Hall of Fame’s selection of this year’s inductees, which will be announced on Thursday, May 4, at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time).

You can learn more about all of this year’s finalists after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Retro | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Ultra Street Fighter II will be released for the Switch on May 26

Posted on March 1, 2017 by John Scalzo

Capcom just announced that Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will be released for the Nintendo Switch on May 26.

Like 2008’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, The Final Challengers gives players the option to use the fighting game’s original 16-bit graphics or redesigned high definition sprites from Udon Entertainment. Players will also be able to select two new characters (Evil Ryu and Violent Ken), and compete in the first-person “Way of the Hado” mode using the Joy-Con Controllers.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will be priced at $39.99.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

Nintendo’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial will feature the Switch

Posted on February 2, 2017 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has existed as a company for more than 127 years, and in all that time they’ve never produced a Super Bowl commercial. Though to be fair, the Super Bowl has only been held since 1967, and the world only really started to embrace the spectacle of it all in the early 90s.

But this is 2017, and Nintendo’s Switch console will be available on store shelves in just four weeks. So what better way to sell it to the public than with a splashy Super Bowl LI ad?

“The most anticipated video game system and video game of the year will be seen on the biggest stage of the year,” said Nicolas Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Marketing. “Nintendo Switch will change how, when and where people play games. It’s only fitting that we’re changing how, when and where we advertise those games.”

The commercial uses the same “Play Anywhere” style of marketing that Nintendo has used for the Switch so far, and features clips from a wide variety of games including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arms, 1-2-Switch, Just Dance 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. And in case you were wondering, the Switch’s Super Bowl ad was soundtracked by “Believer,” the new single from Imagine Dragons.

The Nintendo Switch will be released worldwide on March 3, and if you hurry, you might still be able to secure one for launch day. A 30-second version of Nintendo’s Switch commercial will air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged , , , , , ,

Capcom’s Ono talks about updating Ultra Street Fighter II for modern audience; Release date will be “in close proximity” to Switch launch

Posted on January 24, 2017 by John Scalzo

Capcom surprised everyone with the announcement that Street Fighter II Turbo would be remastered and re-released for the Nintendo Switch as Ultra Street Fighter II: The The Final Challengers. Thankfully, Street Fighter Series Producer Yoshinori Ono sat down with IGN last week to discuss how the Switch remake of the fighting classic came to be, as well as the difficulties in updating it for a modern audience.

Produced to honor the franchise’s 30th anniversary, Ultra Street Fighter II will include the arcade game’s original sprites, as well as the high definition character art created by Udon for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Besides tweaking the graphics for younger players, Ono was most concerned about rebalancing the characters while still retaining that spark that made the original game so memorable in 1991:

“The balance for the original Street Fighter II Turbo in the ’90s was OK for that time, but whether it matches the times now is a bit questionable,” Ono explained. “We didn’t want to do a complete overhaul, because then the situation would be, ‘Well, why don’t you just play Street Fighter 5?’ We wanted to keep some sense of what it was like playing in the 90s, but also retune it to match the era now.”

“We’re still in the middle of making the final touches, in terms of the tuning, but we hope we can find something that lands in between. Something that’s nostalgic, but also new at the same time. There are hands-on events here and also in Tokyo, and we see a lot of parents and children coming to play together. We observe and see how they’re actually reacting to it.”

The developer also confirmed that Capcom wants to release Ultra Street Fighter II “in close proximity” to the Switch’s March 3rd launch date. However, an official date is still very much up in the air and, regardless of what Ono wants, we don’t know exactly when Ultra Street Fighter II will be released.

Finally, Ono said that Ultra Street Fighter II is only in development for the Switch, but that “if [it] sells extremely well” he’d consider bringing it to other platforms.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged