BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger confused and delighted fighting fans when it was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, being a fighting game that you couldn't simply pick up, perform Street Fighter-like moves and win. Now Arc System Works is bringing that delightful confusion to the PlayStation Portable with BlazBlue Portable. It features all 12 fighters from the console version of the game, with Ad Hoc fighting for up to four players, along with a new addition in the form of Legion Mode, a territory control game in which you move your character over a map, taking over new areas via rounds of fighting.

BlazBlue Portable is making its way to Japan on February 25th. No word on a North American release, but as long as there's a UMD and you've not upgraded to the PSPgo there's always import shops.

BlazBlue Gets PSP Port [1UP]

Not only is this the first Tekken game appearing on a console that doesn't have Sony in the front of its name, it's also the first Tekken game to ship with online multiplayer built right in. On top of all of that, the game features 42 different characters - the largest roster ever seen in a Tekken game.

With all of these big numbers and firsts going down, you'd think there was no way Namco Bandai's latest fighter could fail. Then again, odds are you aren't one of the assembled game critics. These guys are.

VideoGamer
It seems difficult to criticise Tekken 6 for feeling like an uninspired effort from Namco Bandai in the same year we heap praise upon Street Fighter 4 - a fighting game Capcom is delighted to hear described as Street Fighter 2.5. But it lacks the freshness, sparkle and zing SF4 has in abundance. It lacks excitement, pizazz and spunk. It feels tired and devoid of new ideas. And yet, it's Tekken. The one-on-one fighting is just as bone-crunching, spine-snapping and easy to learn yet hard to master as it's always been. If it 'aint broke…

1UP
Tekken 6's netcode will disappoint online players. Online matches persistently run below optimal conditions, even if your opponent lives close to your area. The netcode isn't as bad as, say, The King of Fighters 12, but it's not even close to other recently released fighters (Blazblue and Street Fighter 4). It's shame that Namco didn't put more resources and development time into optimizing Tekken's online component, because Tekken 6 is an excellent fighting game. The core mechanics sit on a solid foundation, emphasizing movement on the X and Z-axis, close-range fighting, mix-up games involving a high-low-throw system (high and mid attacks must be blocked high; low attacks blocked low; throws are unblockable) and frame traps based on a move's speed and recovery.

GameSpot
Even series veterans may find Tekken 6's jam-packed character selection screen a little overwhelming because it's initially tough to identify characters from their small portraits alone. But once you've found your favorites, experienced Tekken players will see that the tweaks and changes made to the move sets of returning characters are, for the most part, minor. Most characters get a new attack or two, some stances have been modified, and it seems the damage dealt by some of the more powerful combos in the past have been slightly toned down. Despite this, all of the returning characters feel completely familiar, so you'll never feel like you have to relearn your favorite fighter from scratch.

Game Informer
Newcomer Lars is the focus of the new Scenario Campaign mode, which is the weakest aspect of the game. Cutscenes are surprisingly long considering they make little to no sense and feature (surprise!) a spiky-haired protagonist with a case of amnesia. This mode has its own built-in version of arcade mode, featuring CG endings for characters after a few short fights. Going back to the lazy beat ‘em-up levels of Scenario Campaign is rough after a few traditional one-on-one fights, as the colorful and interesting locales of the latter are replaced by the cut-and-paste docks and bland environments of the former.

TeamXbox
One of the Tekken's biggest draws has always been that its accessibility, regardless of your skill level. Whether it was the first time you've ever played a fighting game or it was just another notch in your extensive fighting-game prowess, you could pick up a controller and get into the action. Things aren't any different in Tekken 6. While the simplicity of the game's controls will keep newcomers from getting frustrated, there's still a surprising amount of depth in the fighting system. Punches, kicks, throws, grabs, blocks…button mashing will only get you so far in Tekken, but to really excel, you're going to need to pick a character and learn all of the nuances of his or her fighting style. Tekken is a game in which you'll live and die by your use of combos. And all of this without a ranged attack anywhere in sight.

Kotaku
I'm a big fan of the Tekken franchise, but I really don't care about the single player campaign. All I want is to be able to smack other people around online, at home or in AI-controlled arcade mode. So I can forgive almost all of the issues I pointed out. They're almost entirely about what I think is a completely needless single-player campaign. What I can't forgive, won't endure, is online lag. Let's hope Namco gets right on patching that, because until they do I won't be risking my piddly ranking.

Aww, their poor net code.

Shadow Force won 68 consecutive best-of-three matches at the London MCM Expo over the weekend, losing only 9 rounds and racking up 25 perfects during the course of his streak, making me wonder if perhaps they had recruited London housewives to act as his opponents. Either way, official Guinness World Records representatives were on hand to witness the event, which will be entered into next year's Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition.

Eliot used Lars for most of his battles, swapping in Miguel, Lee, and Dragunov when circumstances called for them.

According to Guinness editor Gaz Deaves, Eliot's surprised everyone, stealing the record out from under Super vs. Battle 2009 champion Phil "Dinosaur" Mackenzie.

"It was certainly a dramatic few hours. With Dinosaur's epic win at the Super vs. Battle this year we were expecting him to walk away with the record, so when Eliot KO'd him in the third round we almost couldn't believe what we were seeing. Overall the standard of play was very high, with Eliot clearly the strongest on the day."

Can you beat 68 consecutive wins in a row? More importantly, do you hang around with Guinness World Records officials?

That's definitely some poster-worthy artwork right there. January 26th seems so far away right now, doesn't it?

The Dragon Ball: Raging Blast demo gives you a tiny taste of the "most explosive fighting action ever seen for this franchise" today, delivering 261MB of hot Piccolo on Raditz on Goku action. The demo lets players take the three characters for a spin in VS. Mode, with all of the signature moves, super attacks, and guys flying into mountains that entails. Just keep in mind that the demo is a Gold Xbox Live subscriber exclusive for the time being, so Silver members will have to keep playing out battles in their backyards until their turn comes up.

I'm not a big fan of the Dragon Ball manga or anime, but I'm extremely fond of the fighting game franchise, and a company releasing a demo before the game releases is always a good sign. Confidence is key!

Demo: Dragon Ball: Raging Blast [Major Nelson]

Here are the signature Jutsu for key characters Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, names I've become all too familiar with during my tenure at Kotaku. I've gone from Naruto virgin to slightly violated Naruto virgin in what seems like no time flat. It only stung a little.

Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 will be out on November 17th. Having been properly indoctrined, I have it on preorder.

Couture (pictured with EA Sports boss Peter Moore above) joins Fedor Emelianenko, announced earlier as a headline athlete. Other named fighters include Gegard Mousasi of the U.S. and Renato Sobral of Brazil.

Couture, in addition to his celebrity, will bring a ground-and-pound fighting style to the game, expected to release sometime next year.

This isn't the first time Couture's appeared in a video game, or in an EA product for that matter. He was in Command & Conquer: Red Alert as Commander Warren Fuller.

MMA News [EA Sports, thanks Synkro]

BlazBlue's blend of high-resolution, gorgeously animated sprite based fighters and three dimensional backgrounds makes for a stunning presentation. Pretty though BlazBlue may be, the brawler has a depth that belies its 12 character strong roster, a bizarre cast of fighters slashing through an equally bizarre story line.

Should you educate yourself in the library of fighting education that is BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger?

Loved
A Deep Dozen: BlazBlue's roster may not have the numbers of Street Fighter IV, Soulcalibur IV or Tekken 6, but for a new franchise, twelve fighters is pretty respectable—especially when each character is so unique. No two characters play alike, with some having character specific health bars or custom interface icons that expand upon Arc's already deep fighting system. That variety comes with a price, though, as players who feel comfortable with protagonist Ragna may be bewildered when trying out Arakune or Carl.

You Are Soooo Good Lookin': Everything in BlazBlue, from its characters to its backgrounds to its win notifications, is overstuffed with lovingly rendered detail. The amount of work put into character animations is simply stunning, even if a few characters animate slightly better than others. BlazBlue's stages, which expertly mesh NPC sprites and 3D environments offer plenty of eye candy. Whether you personally enjoy the game's art style, however, will be up to you.

Lag? What Lag?: Taking BlazBlue online via Xbox Live feels surprisingly like playing someone in the same room. We had a few spurts of lag at the very beginning of our online matches, but once the action kicked off, the experience was unexpectedly smooth.

I Like To Watch: The game's online fighting mode supports up to four spectators, a mode I found key to enjoying my online experience. After watching more experienced BlazBlue players go at it as a spectator, I better understood how some of the fighters played, all the while getting an eyeful of the game's visuals without the distraction of having to fight for my life.

Shortcuts: By default, BlazBlue's control set up allows special attacks to be mapped to the right analog stick, making the learning curve less steep, letting the player enjoy more of the game's flashier moves. Hardly revolutionary, but it makes getting up to speed on the unfamiliar fighting system with a stock gamepad that much easier. For better balance online in online matches, this option can be toggled off in game settings.

We Got Modes: The console port of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger comes with a wealth of options, including an expanded story mode, a match replay theater, unlockable galleries and more. One-on-one fighting may be the draw, but if you're simply soloing, there's no lack of modes to explore. I quickly grew tired of the dialogue and voice acting in the game's storytelling, but fans willing to put up with BlazBlue's fiction will be rewarded.

Hated
Tutorial Required: BlazBlue may be a new franchise, but that doesn't mean that Arc System Works has catered to the new player with some of its design decisions. The mechanics have a relatively steep learning curve, thanks to a roster that's arguably too diverse, too stuffed with crazy characters. Even the naming conventions attached to the fighting system—Heat Gauges, Barrier Bursts, Astral Heats, Distortion Drives—seem designed to confuse the player unfamiliar with the game's language. Even the rounds are called "rebels." Fortunately, the limited edition version of the game comes with an extremely helpful tutorial DVD. Buy it. Watch it.

Everything Goes To 11: Sometimes, there's just too much going on. Too much in BlazBlue is over-designed, resulting in visual confusion that's often hard to filter out. The cast of characters, while pleasantly wacky at times, is heavily populated with a level of unwelcoming bizarre that might have turned you off to the Guilty Gear series in the first place.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is ultimately a fantastic product, hopefully the start of a long-running franchise that can be added upon with new characters, refined move sets and improvements to the interface. The technique is there, with a fighting system that requires some serious investment, as are the visual fireworks that give the game its unique graphical appeal. Whether BlazBlue's anime aesthetic choices are something you'll find appealing will be a matter of personal taste.

Under the skin, it's a wonderful game.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger was developed by Arc System Works and published by Aksys Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 30. Retails for $59.99 USD. Played through Arcade Mode and Story Mode with multiple characters on Xbox 360, tested online Multiplayer modes via Xbox Live.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The XCM Dominator joystick ships next week. As you can see in this video, it'll memorize any sequence of button presses or stick movements and then store it to one of four buttons. Remember, if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.

PS3 XCM Dominator Joystick Gets Price and Ships Next Week [Slashgear, thanks MADGAME]

Dragonball Teaser Trailer [Trailer Addict - Thanks wwm0nkey!]

BATTLE FANTASIA KNOCKS OUT EUROPE
505 Games Publishing Innovative Fighting Game From the Makers of the Hugely Popular Guilty Gear Series
Milton Keynes, August 1st – 505 Games today announced that Battle Fantasia, a unique all-action fighting game, is heading to the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® in Q1 2009.

Developed by combat veterans Arc System Works, Battle Fantasia is like no other fighter available on consoles, thanks to its unique cast of fantasy-inspired characters, alongside a storyline and script that stays true to its Japanese heritage and manga roots. In fact, 505 Games is ensuring the overall experience is as close as you’ll get to playing a Japanese arcade game in the streets of Tokyo, without ever leaving the comfort of your sofa.

In keeping with the fantasy themes of the game, Battle Fantasia also has elements familiar to fans of role-playing games. Instead of having a standard health bar, characters have hit-points that drain away as they take damage. As a result smaller characters have less health but are faster and harder to hit, whereas larger ones can deal more damage but are lumbering hulks. This means the gameplay experience is unlike any fighter you’ve played before.

Battle Fantasia includes a variety of different modes, including story, practice, survival, time attack, versus mode and online multiplayer. What’s more, by playing through the story mode, it’s possible to unlock new costumes for the fighters, along with a range of artwork by Guilty Gear series legend Emiko Iwasaki.

Battle Fantasia is available in Europe for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® in Q1 2009.

Key features:

• A faithful recreation of the awesome arcade game, from the developers of the Guilty Gear series
• Fast-paced, fluid and balanced fighting
• Innovative 2.5D graphics engine
• 12 playable characters with their own range of special moves
• 2-player head-to-head action and online multiplayer
• Artwork and character design by Emiko Iwasaki

Anime Expo [Official Webpage]

“UFC offers the fighting videogame genre a fresh and innovative look inside today’s most exciting live sporting event in the world,” said Dana White, president, UFC. “UFC 2009 Undisputed represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our growing, global audience and allow fans to step into the virtual Octagon™ to compete against the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighters.”

UFC 2009 is slated for a Spring 2009 release. I've generally been put off by the generic feel of previous UFC games, so here's hoping THQ delivers something unique enough to hold my attention for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Leading Fighting Game Publisher THQ Set to Enter the Famed Octagon™ with UFC® 2009 Undisputed

Debut Videogame Based on Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Poised to Deliver an Extensive Roster, Commanding New Game Engine and Powerful Features

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that UFC® 2009 Undisputed, the company’s debut videogame based on the renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship® mixed martial arts organization, is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and mobile devices. Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, UFC 2009 Undisputed is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets worldwide in spring 2009.

“As the leading fighting videogame publisher(a), we feel the rising popularity of the UFC brand and its incredible mixed martial arts experience make UFC 2009 Undisputed the perfect addition to our expanding portfolio,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. “UFC 2009 Undisputed is certain to be the most realistic fighting game to date, including advanced collision detection and AI systems that incorporate individual fighter styles.”

“UFC offers the fighting videogame genre a fresh and innovative look inside today’s most exciting live sporting event in the world,” said Dana White, president, UFC. “UFC 2009 Undisputed represents a significant opportunity for us to expand our growing, global audience and allow fans to step into the virtual Octagon™ to compete against the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighters.”

About UFC 2009 Undisputed

UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game that will detail the action, intensity and attitude of a UFC live event. Players will explore a deep roster of more than 80 top fighters in UFC competition across all five weight classes. In addition, they will enter the Octagon surrounded by the sport’s popular commentators, announcers, referees, trainers, Octagon girls and more. Photorealistic models are at the forefront, as players will view amazing ripple effects across the faces and bodies of their fighters from the impact of devastating punches and kicks.

A brand new fighting game engine designed specifically for next generation systems will deliver innovative, responsive and easy-to-play controls that give unparalleled command of fighters, as players take down opponents with a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines like Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In addition, the game’s Create-A-Fighter system will jumpstart the careers of future champions through character customization and training management, while a robust Career Mode will develop a fighter’s attributes and skill sets while fighting to enter the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines. Furthermore, players will be able to enhance their UFC 2009 Undisputed gameplay experience through online support, including downloadable content.

More information about UFC 2009 Undisputed can be found at www.thq.com.

The fighting mechanic was pretty basic and what you would expect from this type of open world, mission based game. You can fight everyone form the local yokels and thugs to the mascots of the various casinos. I got particular pleasure out of beating the crap out of one mascot who looked suspiciously like my arch nemesis, The Burger King. By pressing X to attack, you can build up your BuzzBomb meter which, once it's filled, will give you an special move that will send your enemy flying through the air. Beating enemies down yields casino chips that can be used later to buy more clothes, cars and other goodies.

Next we moved on to the gambling portion. At the current time they have confirmed that there will be Black Jack, Texas Hold 'Em Poker and slots with other games to be announced later. I tried my hand at a Black Jack game and did pretty well. Of course, it helps that the game has a built in cheat device for each casino game. In Black Jack, the cards are marked and going into a special mode will allow you to see What's coming up next and what the other player have in their hands. but don't linger to long in cheat mode, because the pit boss is watching and if his suspicion meter fills up, you are busted.

Where game really shone was the party mode. Your character is dispatched to a club that is rather empty and you are implored by the DJ to help her bring customers in. This is accomplished through a series of mini-games like a Cake Mania-esque bar tending gig, beating up cheesy bachelors and a rather gratuitous wet t-shirt mini-game where you spray girls down with water.

My favorite part of the club scene however, was the dancing. Based on the Tony Hawk method of combos, you can make your character pull of various dance moves using button presses. The more moves you can stack up without failing, the more points you can score. If you get really good, you can even get everyone on the dance floor to follow you in a group synchronized dance routine. It was really pretty clever and I found myself thinking that in itself would make a pretty fun game.

All in all I'd have to say that the game seemed pretty fun and the dialog was amusing. The graphics looked great and the recreation of Vegas was really well done with loads of detail. However, what we saw of This Is Vegas was pretty disjointed so it was difficult to get a handle on the overall gameplay. I look forward to seeing a more cohesive version that includes the driving mechanic at this year's E3. It is expected to ship Winter 2008 for 360, PS3 and PC.

A source has also leaked me with the surprisingly honest memo sent to EA employees from Frank Gibeau, President of EA Games. In it he says:

"Within the EA Games Label, we are committed to running each franchise and facility as a city/state, teams with unique creative identities as well as responsibility for product quality, ship dates and profitability....Unfortunately, EA Chicago hasn't been able to meet that standard....Closing EA Chicago is the toughest decision I've made in my career - one that in no way reflects on the talent and dedication of the people who work there."

Read the full memo from EA after the jump...

FROM FRANK GIBEAU Today we are announcing the closure of our studio in Chicago. This is a difficult decision but we are convinced it's the right thing to do for the future of the Games Label and EA.

Within the EA Games Label, we are committed to running each franchise and facility as a city/state, teams with unique creative identities as well as responsibility for product quality, ship dates and profitability. We recognize that games require large investments and extended development cycles. We're willing to take risks, make long-term investments, and to support teams and individuals between launches. But each team is responsible for staying on a reasonable path to profitability. Sticking to that strategy is what gives us the financial resources and flexibility to take risks on new projects.

Unfortunately, EA Chicago hasn't been able to meet that standard. The location has grown dramatically in the past three years while revenue from the games developed there has not. The number of employees has grown from 49 in 2004 to 146 people currently in the new facility in downtown Chicago. As it stands, EA Chicago has no expectation of hitting our profitability targets until FY2011 or later.

Closing EA Chicago is the toughest decision I've made in my career - one that in no way reflects on the talent and dedication of the people who work there. I've enjoyed their games and consider GM Kudo Tsunoda to be one of the best creative minds in our industry. The people impacted by this decision will be treated fairly - we're offering relocation opportunities to many and there will be outplacement assistance and severance for all eligible employees.

I know this decision will be unsettling to many beyond those who work in Chicago. It's important that you understand that we are willing to take creative risks and make long-term investments in people and projects. But the city/state philosophy demands that every project be committed to delivering a reasonable expectation of profitability. It's a performance commitment that binds us together and ensures we have the resources we need to invest back into our people and creative output.

Finally, when EA announced our quarterly earnings last week, John and Warren referenced facility closures. We had planned to include Chicago in that communication but a personal tragedy in the studio - the death of a colleague - resulted in our delaying the announcement out of respect for his family and friends. I apologize for any confusion or concern that caused.

I think you'll find that in addition to tackling some serious challenges, we are making great progress on our business. Consumers have responded well to our new IP and quality scores are tracking up. We are proud of our recent hits, such as Skate and the success we have made in making a solid game with The Simpsons. And we're looking forward to breakout hits like Need For Speed Pro Street, Rockband, Burnout Paradise, Battlefield Bad Company, Army of Two, Crysis, and more in the future with Mass Effect and Mercenaries 2 World in Flames.

We're definitely headed in the right direction.

Frank

Rise of the Ninja is really two games in one. There's an adventure game in which you run around Leaf Village doing quests as you follow Naruto on his rise from an obnoxious orphan everyone despises to an obnoxious ninja everybody seems to like. Then there's the fighting game, which allows you to test your ninja prowess against friends both online and offline. Statistically speaking, at least one of the two should suck. It is a licensed game after all, and while there have been several spectacular Japanese Naruto fighting games, this one was created by Ubisoft Montreal - the first non-Japanese developed Naruto game. Somehow they completely beat the odds. Both modes are pretty damn entertaining.

Tales Of The Obnoxious Ninja

Story mode features you as Naruto, running around Leaf Village doing quests, powering up your fighting moves, and going on missions that carry you through the storyline up to Naruto winning...some big thing. The Chunin Exam, possibly? Not being a big fan of the anime itself didn't stop me from enjoying story mode. It just made me terrible at writing about it. There's this evil sand guy, who tries to kill the bushy-eyebrow kid after nearly killing him anyway. I'll assume it does a pretty good job of following the story, because at several points I recognized moments from the Cartoon Network episodes I managed to catch.

The action in story mode is a mix of platforming craziness interrupted by rounds of fighting. Say you are running through the woods and a bandit appears. In JRPG fashion you enter a battle screen which plays out like your standard 3D fighter. Despite a bunch of fights against the same four or five types of fodder over and over again, the fighting was always nicely balanced with the platforming so as to never feel tiresome or annoying.

The main fun of story mode lies in exploration. I could run around Leaf Village for hours, just sprinting about, jumping across rooftops, and generally being a little hyperactive jerk, just like the real Naruto. As you level up your jitsu powers, more areas open up to you, providing almost as much of a driving force to complete the game as the story itself.

The neatest thing about story mode as far as I am concerned? Memoclips. As you progress through the game you earn memories after important events, called memoclips. When you fall in battle during your adventure, instead of dying, you are taken to a screen that allows you to select from whatever memoclips you have acquired. Like any fighting anime, when Naruto falls, he uses memories of his past to inspire him to go on. Depending on the memoclip you choose, you'll have a certain number of seconds to tap the A button to recover power. It's such a simple little mechanic, but it adds to the anime-feel of the game tremendously.

Kungu-Fu Fighting

The fighting game portion of Rise of the Ninja is relatively simple. There are only eleven characters to choose from, with buttons for vertical attacks, horizontal attacks, blocking, jumping, and grabbing. What sets it apart from other fighting games is the special moves, known as jitsus. Rather than just using a combinations of buttons to unleash a
jitsu, players must hold down the left trigger, standing completely still until their power reaches the target intensity, indicated by a sort of ring power meter dealie bob on the screen. If you are successful, your character launches into their particular jitsu, which acts as sort of a mini-game. For instance, when Naruto performs the Shadow Clone jitsu, he inputs a button combination. If his opponent matches the button for any particular part of the move, the damage is negated and Naruto misses. While jitsus are extremely power, standing still and charging one up leaves you very open to attack.

Thanks to the simplicity of the battle system, characters animate as smoothly online as they do offline, but trust me...online is where it's at. Specifically the Forest of Death Tournament, which unlike regular fighting tournaments is always open. A persistent world fighting tournament? Once you enter the tournament, you have to win two consecutive matches to enter the Tower of Doom. Win three more matches and you are a champion, taking on opponent after opponent until you fall, all the while gaining points that reflect on your score in the leaderboards. You can of course just play one match against a random opponent for a quick online fix, but the tournament mode is so much more fulfilling, assuming you win. I am not a winner. *sniffs*

Super Sexy Jitsu

I really didn't think I would enjoy Naruto: Rise of the Ninja this much. I expected a passable fighting game with a forgettable story mode tacked on, but what I ended up with was so much more. Now I've got to run out to GameStop and beat up that cashier that laughed at me for buying it.