2017 has certainly been an eventful one for the video game industry. From Nintendo’s resurrection off the strength of the Nintendo Switch, to the franchise-crushing disappointment of Mass Effect: Andromeda, there was a lot about this year that we didn’t see coming.
In this post, I’m going to highlight the biggest surprise in terms of software. I think the success of the Nintendo Switch would take it hands-down otherwise. Anywho, here’s my biggest video game software surprise of 2017!
In 2009, Street Fighter IV changed my life.
Having taken an extended hiatus from the fighting game genre, Street Fighter IV roped me in for good. The transition wasn’t instant, as I gave up the game initially after losing dozens of matches in a row online. However, once I watched my first fighting game tournament live stream, it opened my eyes to how great fighting games can be when you have a deeper understanding of how to play them. As I tried to emulate the likes of Gootecks, Mike Ross, and Justin Wong, I found myself falling in love with the genre in a way that I’d never loved any other type of game.
Since 2009, fighting games have grown to become my favourite of any gaming genre. Here’s why!
Better late than never!
After finally getting its ducks in a row with the Mega Man franchise, Capcom seems to be doing the same with Street Fighter. Pretty much every major version of the franchise from Street Fighter 1 through 3 are coming in one package at a discount price. On top of that, Hyper Fighting, Super Turbo, Alpha 3, and Third Strike will all feature online play.
While I have numerous copies of these games in different forms, it’ll be super convenient to have them all in one place. Might even double dip with the PS4 version to play online or at home with my fightstick, along with the Switch version for portable action.
This compilation will be out in May of 2018. Can’t come soon enough!
https://twitter.com/MrWiz/status/935267417877446656
Joey Cuellar, one of the head organizers of EVO, has come out and said that there will be seven games at EVO this year. This is down one from last year. Which seven games will make the cut? I make my picks and name a few that should be in the running as well!
Capcom has taken a lot of heat for the incomplete state Street Fighter V launched in. To their credit, they’ve put in a lot of work post-launch to get the game into a better position. On top of that, they’ve done a tremendous job on the eSports side of things to make it the premier fighter on that front.
Still, the game, even in its current state, has left a sour taste in the mouths of many. With a major Arcade Edition on the way, here’s what I hope would be included, even if the likelihood of these suggestions coming to fruition is slim!
Nintendo Switch owners are likely still busy with Super Mario Odyssey, but ARMS continues to truck along in the background with version 4.0 available now. This update brings in a new mode, a new arm attribute, and a new character named Misango. This Aztec warrior has cool scorpion gloves, and some weird special abilities with the mask. It’s been a bit since I played the game but I’m ready to jump in and try this guy out!
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What?!?!?!
The latest addition to the Injustice 2 roster is one that caught me by surprise. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming to Injustice 2 and it’s heavily implied that they’ll play as one character.
First off, I love it. The Ninja Turtles started out in the world of comics, and they somewhat recently crossed over into the DC Universe with Batman, so this isn’t completely out of line. Having not played as the Ninja Turtles in a fighting game since the surprisingly good Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, I look forward to playing as them when I eventually get a copy. That said, I’m very curious to see how NetherRealm incorporates the four characters into one. Is there stance-switching between the four? Is one character the main and the others come out as assists or as part of specific special move animations? We’ll find out soon enough!
I’ll be the first to admit that I like ARMS more than most. It dominated my summer as I fought my way up to the highest ranks, and even earned a spot as a finalist in a tournament earlier this year. That said, I’ve seen more than my fair share of criticism about the game from around the web, attacking its perceived lack of content, shallow gameplay, and slow rollout of updates. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on those matters and I respect that.
What does bother me though is this narrative that ARMS is a sales flop. Despite having sold 1.35 million units and counting, some want to use that information as proof that the game has failed to meet expectations. While it may not stack up to the heavy hitters on the Switch, especially in light of Super Mario Odyssey selling a whopping 2 million copies in 3 days, I think that people using that 1.35 million units sold tally are looking at it from the wrong perspective.
When I first got Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, one of the first things to catch my eye was Gamora’s gun loops. After a few weeks of practice and research, I finally got one variation down and decided to make a tutorial video to teach others how to do it. If you’re hoping to add the gun loop to your arsenal, check this out!
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In Third Person 