fighting games

Out Now – BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

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This one came out of nowhere for me.

Giving this one little attention up until a few weeks ago, I was wowed by the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle beta for finding a seemingly warm balance between depth and accessibility. Granted, it doesn’t look nearly as good as Dragon Ball FighterZ or have the name brand roster like other heavy hitters in the genre, but that gameplay was so enjoyable that I poured many hours into the demo’s training mode alone just to squeeze out every last bit of fun I could from it.

Won’t be able to play any of it tonight, as I’ll be heading over to a concert right after work. However, for sure I’ll be playing it this week and you should be able to watch me play later this week on Twitch! Stay tuned!

Buy BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Now From Amazon.com

Out Now: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

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Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is here! Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, you can 12 versions of the iconic series on a modern platform. If you pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One versions, you’ll also get a download code for Ultra Street Fighter IV, essentially giving you the entire series save for the latest game. Switch owners sadly won’t get Ultra Street Fighter IV, but they will get an exclusive tournament mode that could be cool with friends and extra consoles.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle threw a monkey wrench in my plans to grab this on day 1, but I do plan on grabbing this sooner rather than later!

Buy The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Now From Amazon.com

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Ragna Tips and Tricks

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Brush up on your Ragna skills before BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle hits stores in June! I cover a few key tactics to add to your arsenal, from air-based mix-ups, to techniques you can use to extend your combos. Check it out!

Buy BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Now From Amazon.com

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Beta Impressions for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch

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Up until the release of Dragon Ball FighterZ, Arc System Works was the fighting game developer I wanted to love more than I actually did. Experts at making visually-luscious and mechanically-complex fighters, the former has gotten me to buy a number of their games, while the latter has caused me to push them away in short order. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place in this world for fighters with their level of depth, but it’s a bridge too far for me.

Maybe it was just the developer trying to cater to the Dragon Ball audience, but Dragon Ball FighterZ shows what Arc System Works can do when they attempt to tone down their core formula for something more accessible. While I think it went a smidgen too far with accessibility to the point where the game feels a bit too limiting in ways, it was the first of their games that I could really sink my teeth into and love on a deeper level.

It may be too much to assume that the impact of FighterZ influenced the development of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, but based on my time with the beta on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, accessibility continues to be a focal point for the developer. At this pre-release juncture, I’m greatly enjoying what I’m seeing.

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BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Beta on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch

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I got in some quality time with the PlayStation 4 and Switch versions of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle! I will say, coming into this with no expectations, I was wowed by how Arc System Works got the balance between accessibility and depth in a pretty good spot. Will be picking this one up on launch! Which version though? I don’t know the answer just yet.

Buy BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Now From Amazon.com

Piccolo is One Technique Short of Being a Great (or Maybe Broken) Character in Dragon Ball FighterZ

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In the Dragon Ball universe, Piccolo has always been an impressive and resourceful warrior in his own right. No human fighter would stand a chance against him. However, he also exists in a universe where he’s outgunned by mythically strong fighters that could blow up a planet for the fun of it. Despite his best efforts to get stronger and smarter, he routinely comes up short against the best in the universe as he simply doesn’t have the raw power to keep up.

In the world of Dragon Ball FighterZ, where fighting game developers have to balance their rosters out as much as possible, Piccolo’s skills as a fighter come through with his tricky move set and devastating damage potential. However, one hole in his arsenal prevents him from being one of the best combatants in the game.

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Dragon Ball FighterZ and its Bottom Tier Character Problem

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Achieving perfect balance in a fighting game is essentially an impossible task. As long as a fighting game features unique character designs, there’s always going to be instances of certain characters seemingly being better than others. Still, the closer we can get to the equilibrium, the better the game will be, as players want a game where every character is a viable option.

A few months into Dragon Ball FighterZ and we’re now getting a clear idea of who is good and who isn’t. At this point, about 1/3 of the cast basically isn’t in the game, whether you track usage among online players or in tournament play. If you want to get more cynical, there are borderline characters like Gotenks, Piccolo, and Captain Ginyu that may not be worth the effort, either. There’s still much work to be done in order to get these characters to the next level.

Now that we have a better understanding of how the game works, let’s analyze some of the bottom tier characters in terms of why they currently suck and how they could get better in the future.

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Falke Gameplay Reveal in Street Fighter V

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After a series of returning favourites, Capcom introduces a brand new character to the Street Fighter universe. Falke was originally designed to be an M. Bison clone, but she has broken free of his grasp and now fights alongside of Ed as a member of his Neo Shadaloo faction. She has the ability to imbue Psycho Power into physical objects, which allows her staff to do more than just conk people on the head.

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Tips for Managing Meter in Dragon Ball FighterZ

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When it comes to meter, Dragon Ball FighterZ doles it out at a very generous clip. After the first few seconds of the match, it’s pretty easy to go through an entire match while still having stocks to spare. However, I’ve run into no shortage of players that liberally burn their meter during the match, only to find themselves bankrupt when the match is in the balance.

Managing your resources is crucial to your success on the battlefield. Let’s talk about two of the most common wastes of meter that occur in a match and what can be done instead to ensure that you have meter when you need it most!

 

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Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game is on Kickstarter

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I love Street Fighter! I love board games! Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game is my dream come true!

Designed by YouTuber Angry Joe and published by Jasco Games, it features gorgeous miniatures, multiple stages, and 40-card decks for each character. I want to believe that this is everything I’ve been dreaming of, but there is still much for me to consider. As it usually goes with Kickstarter board games, particularly ones that feature miniatures, the entry price is steep, scaling exponentially higher if you want stretch goals and the expansion characters. On top of that, I want to read the manual and watch the how-to-play videos to see if this could meet my particular expectations.

If this interests you like it interests me, check out Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game on Kickstarter! You’ve got till May 5th, 2018 at 12:59 AM EDT to pledge, so get yours in there before it’s too late!