Audiology [OMG Your Ears!]

A common complaint about Killa Blog is the lack of auditory stimulation, so in your travels around the internet today, be sure to swing by:

Gootecks.com. They've converted Justin Wong's Q&A into a podcast. It's an hour and six minutes of relaxed banter, answering tons of SFIV and fighting scene questions, and making me feel a little bit better about my own struggles with Rufus' short, Fierce link.

Dirtbox Radio, a more rhythmic arena, delivers another HeBeGB live set in the Dirtbox Archives. Haven't had enough commute time to listen to the whole hour and a half, but it sounds pretty flippin' tight. You can download it from Dirtbox here.

Team Teamwork for their Vinyl Fantasy 7, an album's worth of hot lyrical tracks mashed with the classic themes of Final Fantasy VII. Just caught this on Kotaku this morning, so I haven't delved in too deeply, but it seems forrealistic. Jay-Z's Lucifer crossed with the Mako Reactor BGM? Fuck yes.

Could this be the framework for a future Killa Blog Podcast?




... God, I hope not.

Go for Baroque [Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Impressions]

I reckon I owe KB more than that last text post...

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom is (1) a blast, (2) the first VS. Series game in seven years, (3) chock full of fun, colorful characters, and (4) only the third respectable fighting game for the Wii.

Wtf is a Tatsunoko? Learn to Google. (Though, please, do not confuse with Tsuchinoko, the reptillian cryptid and crown jewel of Snake Eater zoological die hards.) Anyways, now you know Tatsunoko is a Japanese animation studio responsible for many of the nation's iconic characters like Speed Racer, Samurai Pizza Cats, and Gatchaman. They reached a deal with Capcom for a VS fighting game intended only for the domestic market, but the huge North American fanbase eventually tempted Tatsunoko and Capcom, and after a ridonk number of licensing issues were resolved, it has been localized for these United States, and is available on an extremely prolific console.

Besides Smash Brawl, the only other significant source of fighting action on the Wii is Guilty Gear XX ^Core (and GGXX^C+, but who's counting?). I've bought my share of Guilty Gear releases, and it's not for everyone. Even with the foreign characters, I think people will be immediately more inclined to delve into Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.

Controls are somewhat of a challenge, though not a dealbreaker. I did not (for once) go out and buy the associated fight stick. I'm sticking it out with the Gamecube controller; the only problem being the joystick and directional pad being woefully inadequate for some of the more technical inputs, like dashes (especially instant air dashes). I've resolved this to some degree by assigning L+M+H to the right trigger simplifying the use of Advancing Guards and Air Dashes. I've got left trigger assigned as L+M+H+P allowing quick use of the Mega Crash (think Guilty Gear's Burst).

The choice of a 2v2 format (instead of MvC2's 3v3) is a better fit for the size of the roster (a respectable 26) and a good place to start for anyone not intimately familiar with tag team fighters. However, if you do know MvC2, you should be able to dive in head first. All you need to pick up are the Baroque cancel, the Variable Aerial Rave, and Mega Crash, and you're up to speed.

So far I've been sticking mostly with Capcom characters, especially Zero and Alex. Jun the Swan, Tekkaman Blade, and Yatterman No.1 have all stood out to me as highlights from Tatsunoko side.

I've unlocked all characters as of Yatterman No.2 last night, and I'll be spending more time in Training and Online before I make another formal post about the merit of this title. But if you ever have or think you may ever pull of an Air Rave, than this is probably a safe buy for you. I know a lot of you out there have Wiis, so seriously consider picking of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom if you have the feeling for the flavor of a fighter. (Oh, and hey, buy it through Killa Blog!)

And I think I heard Shwa got this bad boy... I'll have to hit him up.

The Crossover Glossover [Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Ultimate All Stars Very, Very Initial Impressions]

Used Friender in a combo vs. Legoman. Tatsunoko vs Capcom is pretty cool.

Better Late [Killa Blog GOTY]

What's Killa Blog's Game of the Year? (Pretty obv, when you look back.)

(Please keep in mind these are games I've played and were released in calendar '09. Bioshock and Resistance 2, for example, are not eligible.)

GAME OF THE YEAR: Street Fighter IV

Huge game especially for fighting fans, really rejuvenating the tournament scene in a big way. I personally spent hundreds of hours playing, and am eagerly awaiting the Super update this spring. Why so popular? People love a good Street Fighter, and Capcom went the right direction, bringing in everything great from Super Turbo, learning from the mistakes of III, all while combining graphics and an art style that updated the franchise.

Compared to MGS4, the game that ultimately trumped Fallout 3 for 2008 KB GOTY, '09 proved to be more of a competitive year. Fighters dominated my playing time, and therefore, Killa Blog.


BEST NEW CHARCTER DESIGN: Luna Himeki (VanPri)

Vanguard Princess's provocative, futuristic gunslinger takes the cake. Stiff competition from the likes of SFIV's Rufus, BlazBlue's Ragna the Bloodedge, Tekken 6's Alisa and L4D2's Coach, but a true gem shines through. Terminal Emission Libery Art FTW.


BEST NEW ENEMY: Freakin' Chainsaw Guy (RE5)

Ah, the Freakin' Chainsaw Guy from Resident Evil 5 got a lot of chatter on KB earlier this year. I don't think any enemy presented such a monument to mechanized equipment and close-quarters terror.


BEST NEW LEVEL: Dead Center - Atrium (L4D2)

Oooh yeah. The opening campaign of Left 4 Dead 2, while primarily indoor, is a great contrast from the original L4D that showcases the more colorful and open environments, the clever use of vertical space, and the realistic, often humorous attention to detail.

The final stage is the Scavenge segment, tasking players with collecting gas cans to fuel a stock car on display in order to make an exciting escape. The Atrium is so well designed that it plays great after dozens of rounds and is eagerly anticipated by survivors and special infected players alike. Total classic.


BEST NEW GAMEPLAY MECHANIC: Saving Attack (SFIV)

AKA the Focus Attack in North America, pressing medium punch and kick simultaneously will execute this technique that significantly consolidated the landscape of Street Fighter. Why 'consolidated'? The Alpha series' Alpha Counters, SFIII's parries, Guilty Gear's Roman Cancels, and Namco's unblockables all rolled into one. Yes, the Focus Attack is a revelation.

Street Fighter IV is so playable because of its take on its own fighter heritage. Eliminating air blocking could have returned the SF world to a jump-punishing dark age, but the Focus system accomodates more modern styles of ground fighting, particularly zoning and poking, allowing walking speed and backdash attributes to flourish as character strengths.



Sorry for the late arrival. Figured now or never. Thoughts?

HypoShock [BioShock 2 Hype]

So hey, did I mention I'm all jazzed up for Bioshock 2?

Assassin's Creed II is resting in peace, and I'm tearing through the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned currently in Borderlands. Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom should provide a proper fighting diversion at the end of the month, while the process of stealing, cracking, and playing Melty Blood (Act Cadenza Ver. B) has kept me occupied as well. But, oooh, the media blitz is on. Let the 2K Games PR machine spiral out of control!

There ain't no stopping Subject Delta! It's alive!

Get Equipped with.. Curbstomp [That AHX Tiger Handheld GIF]

Killer Bee Assault WANT [SSFIV Ultra Combos]

So, as you can see in this video, characters in Super Street Fighter IV will have access to two Ultra combos, which isn't new news, but illustrated for the first time for the general public. As enticing as Gief's Air Ultra grab may be, the more pressing speculation is...

Will Cammy get the Killer Bee Assault?!


...Or are we gonna get the [Reverse] Shaft [Breaker]?

UPDATE: What the fuck random giraffe torso? Just kidding. Go check out the hippos in the new Afrika stage.

Valley of the Shadow [SSFIV Secret Character]

Could the yet-to-be-named secret character in Super Street Fighter IV be Shadow from Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter?

Things are looking that way. A lot of scan buzz and such is floating around. The name Shadow has been decoded from Famitsu allegedly, and it is deduced he can throw a Sonic Boom (though it has been pointed out that Seth, one of a number of clones, can also).

I'm pretty damn sure he'll be in. Gouken was created for SFIV to the elation of SF fans. Charlie/Nash/Shadow is the next big ticket item on the fan wishlist and he fits the thought-dead master mold, so I think he's a lock.

Assassin's Credits [Assassin's Creed II Review]

What the fuck its over?

I really like Assassin's Creed II. Thanks so much BSP for the Saturnalia present. I maybe liked it too much, 'cause I really burned through it. Received it and began playing Xmas eve, I finished it one week later, New Year's Eve at 5:30 AM after a marathon session of about fourteen hours.

My complaints about the repetitiveness of the first installment have been quelled, as reported by the mainstream media outlets. I never at any point felt like I was grinding my way through AC2 like I did the original, which is great. But unfortunately, it was over far quicker than I would have liked.

How did they fix they repetition? Oh let me count the ways. Searching for glyphs on famous landmarks and then deciphering their subsequent puzzles, renovating your villa, the Prince of Persia-esque Assassin's Tomb sequences and chasing down pickpockets all jump to the top of the list, nicely complementing the carryover feather collection, viewpoint synchronization, freerunning races and treasure hunting. Assassination contracts, non-lethal assault requests and courier missions fill in for the rest of the types of local diversions. Possibly the slickest addition are the notoriety reduction objectives that populate your map once the heat is on. Bribing heralds, tearing down wanted posters, and terminating officials all achieve this to varying degrees.

So yeah, thanks Jade, we all appreciate you listening.

After delving into Venice (by far the best chunk of the game) I began to refer to the game as Grand Theft Gondola, as it was a very useful way to cross town when rooftop archers abounded. Horses return as the best long distance mode of transportation, though cartographers provide a much smoother fast travel system this time. There are two other one off sequences that have you racing the touge in a horse drawn carriage and then later piloting Da Vinci's flying machine.

So the variety is there. The realistic vast cities are there. The disinteresting countryside is consolidated (into Tuscany). The character development was improved. The new weapons and contraptions are a blast. And, probably most importantly, the primary assassination sequences were better executed than the first iteration of the series.

All in all, a great game. I plan to go back to my game and try to collect and solve the rest of the glyphs and their passcodes. A second playhthrough is doubtful, but I may indulge in the upcoming DLC expansions which are said to include two new memory sequences, sixteen new missions, a new jump technique and another mission with Da Vinci's flying machine. Indulgence, of course, contingent on my preoccupation with other games.



But damn... I was just getting fired up...

Fightathon Generation Results [For Real This Time]

For all six events, first place was awarded two points and second place one point. This, of course, means Lego won with 11 points, and I landed second with 5. As such the secret tiebreaker game was not needed, but we played a few rounds of Virtua Fighter 5 anyways.

The character switch rule was in effect, so that one could not pick the same character during any contest. SFIV and SFA3 were best two of three matches each best of three rounds. SCIV and Tekken 6 were played best two of three matches each best of five rounds. MvC2 was best two of three rounds 3v3.

For Smash, two free-for-all time limit matches were played on random stages, one six minutes and one four minutes. At the end of each, the lowest score was dropped. The final was played as best two out of three four minute matches on Final Destination. As indicated, Lego's Olimar won in Sudden Death against my Snake to end the Smash final.

The [?] before Shwa's Sagat in SFIV indicates that it was randomly selected. For MvC2, I also differentiated between Lego's and Rah's Wolverine (Adamantium and bone claws respectively). Bold and underlined text indicates victory in most instances, and the italicized A in the Alpha character selection indicates A-ism (though only A-ism was selected.)

Street Fighter IV [PS3]
Semifinal 1		KIL	LGO
	Rufus	0	2	Sagat
	Zangief	1	2	Ryu
Semifinal 2		SHW	RAH
	Ken	2	1	Ken
	Fei Long	2	0	Sakura
Final		SHW	LGO
	Ryu	0	2	Sagat
	[?]Sagat	0	2	Ryu

Street Fighter Alpha 3 [MAME]
Semifinal 1		KIL	RAH
	Charlie A	2	0	Ken A
	Birdie A	2	0	Claw A
Semifinal 2		LGO	SHW
	Chun-li A	2	0	Ryu A
	Ryu A	2	0	Dictator A
Final		KIL	LGO
	Birdie A	1	2	Ryu A
	Charlie A	1	2	Chun-Li A

Tekken 6 [PS3]
Semifinal 1		RAH	SHW
	Christie	3	1	Lei
	Eddy	3	2	Hwoarang
Semifinal 2		LGO	KIL
	Bob	3	0	Dragunov
	Baek	3	2	Alisa
Final		LGO	RAH
	Bob	3	1	Christie
	Ganry	0	3	Eddy
	Baek	3	1	Nina

Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Wii]

		KIL	SHW	LGO	RAH
6min		Zelda +3	Luigi -3	Lucas +4	Pikachu -5
4min		Wolf +3	Meta -3	Ike 0	---
Final		KIL		LGO
		Dedede -1		DK +1
		Snake 0		Olimar 0	*SuddenDeath*

Soul Calibur IV [PS3]
Semifinal 1		SHW	KIL
	Kilik	1	3	Cervantes
	Mitsurugi	1	3	Cassandra
Semifinal 2		RAH	LGO
	Seong Mina	0	3	Astaroth
	Hilde	0	3	Maxi
Final		KIL	LGO
	Cassandra	2	3	Astaroth
	Cervantes	3	0	Maxi
	Xianghua	1	3	Kilik

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 [PS2]

Semi 1		SHW	KIL
		Ryu/Hulk/Ken	Spiral/Sentinel/Ken
		Akuma/Jugg/Shuma	Charlie/Venom/Jugg
Semi 2		LGO	RAH
	Adamantium	Wolvie/Akuma/America	Rogue/Iceman/Wolvie	Bone
		Ryu/Cable/Venom	Psy/Akuma/Blackheart
		Iron/Gambit/Col	Storm/Strider/Magneto
Final		LGO	KIL
		Colossus/Venom/Ryu	Spiral/Sentinel/Cammy
		Iceman/Cable/Cyclops	Cable/Akuma/Charlie

Overall, a disappointing but successful tournament. I had been pretty hot lately, but as usual Lego brought it on game day. Tekken and SCIV's results were unexepected. I really would have liked to have won SFIV, but c'est la vie.

I feel this format didn't really try to assess merit after first place, though. Without a loser's bracket or a round robin style, there is really no determination of who is second best.

I'm looking ahead to the end of January and the release of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom. Don't really know the direction to take, but I'm thinking about it. Perhaps fewer events with a more comprehensive format. Right now I've got TvC, Tekken 6, Super Turbo, and Smash in mind.

Oh, and my New Year's Resolution?

To get revenge on Legoman.