Wardrobe Warriors

Hey Ryu, Asuka wants her hakamas back.

Here’s a titillating glimpse at several of the alternate outfits from the upcoming Super Streetfighter IV, care of the Taiwan Gameshow. Sadly though, many are kinda meh, or stuff on fighters I don’t care a whiff about. Chun-Li’s new alt is just seven shades of dull, but Cammy’s Bison getup is admittedly hot, while MechaZangief AKA Colossus is cool. Seeing karate boy Ryu in hakamas is pretty unusual and perhaps the last thing I’d think he’d wear, once upon a time. Too bad we can’t get a good look at what Juri’s alt really is, though it looks to be a casual outfit overall- white top, black pants. Man, I was wishing for a cheongsam. Heheh.

Anyway, as I posted earlier, we may be getting more news about SSFIV very soon, so just keep tight. For a larger look at the pic above, go on over to Game Watch’s page here.

Super Streetfighter IV Update

Four more to go… revealed soon?

Once again, a bit of hype is building after a bit of a lull. Capcom’s Super Streetfighter IV already has a set release date (April 28), but there’s still a lot of stuff not yet fully-revealed… such as the complete roster. As posted about before, there are still apparently four more faces to fill up the final lineup of combatants. The prevailing rumor is, as anyone following the game’s development should know, that the remaining fighters consist of alum from Streetfighter III- namely ninja girl Ibuki, karate girl Makoto and gentleman boxer Dudley and one totally brand-new fighter named Hakan (reportedly an Arabian grappler-type character).

Well, word from NeoGaf and the Taipei Gameshow (where Yoshinoro Ono himself is promoting the game) is that the reveal of the final additions will be in this week’s or next week’s issue of Famitsu Japan. If this is so, surely the internet will once again explode in hype for SSFIV. I just want to stop worrying already about whether my SF3 cuties are in the game or not, dammit. Anyway, we should find out very soon.

Funny thing, btw… ever since Tekken 6 came out on consoles, apparently the Timezone arcades here in Manila have switched in Streetfighter IV cabinets in place of T6. They’re attracting crowds, of course, but with no customizations for players to keep coming back for to upgrade and the simple fact that SFIV is available for PS3 and Xbox360 anyway, I wonder how long the appeal will be? Well, I guess it’s something new.

Anyway, more as I get it. SSFIV is out in Asia in April 27, whoopie!

Plants vs Zombies Update

According to PopCap Games’ Plants vs Zombies Facebook page, the much-delayed Side-Scrolling Tower Defense game’s iPhone version will hit the AppStore on February 15. Originally slated for release late last year, the iPhone PvZ has been repeatedly pushed back, first to late December, then mid-January, and now mid-February. This final time though, the devs seem pretty committed to their release date, even releasing a new iPhone-specific trailer.

Well, that’s good news for me- I played a couple of PvZ clones recently, and they just aren’t up to snuff. My only hope though now is that all this extra wait will result in a portable PvZ that has everything in the PC/Mac versions, and will play flawlessly on the iPhone even during the most zombie-clogged sieges.

Anyway… one more (and hopefully last) week of waiting then.

The Last Airbender Trailer

The Adventures of Aang THE Avatar, in live action!

Let me say this, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most freakin’ awesome animated series ever and one of my all-time absolute favorites. The live-action adapation of the original Nicktoon classic by M. Night Shyamalan fills me both with excitement and apprehension. But what the heck- for me, the series has already been told in the best way possible, via 60 episodes of awesome.

Still you have to appreciate the apparent faithfulness to detail, including the presence of Aang’s giant flying bison companion, Appa (whom you’ll have to search for in his teeny-tiny appearance in the trailer). Apart from the kid who plays Aang, I haven’t seen any of the main cast yet- I hope they all live up to their larger-than-life roles. From the scenes in the trailer I can surmise that it is indeed going to adapt the whole first season of the cartoon- Book of Water- which goes from one end of the world and Aang’s first meeting with the Water Tribe’s Katara and Sokka, to the other and a massive siege battle and finale. Should be pretty action-packed.

If M. Night manages to slip in the Cabbage Man I’ll be pleased. Heh.

This film hits in July- for now, enjoy the trailer!

Pigs Vs Wolves!?

Oh, PopCap Games, what have you started? The relatively young genre of Tower Defense is now pretty crowded, and now there are emerging upstarts in the head-to-head, chessboard-like TD layout made popular in the mega-popular Plants Vs Zombies.

Just debuted on the appstore for the iPhone and iPod Touch is Pigs Vs Wolves, a pretty obvious but quite attractive PvZ wannabee. What sets this one apart from other clones is the clean, cute and eye-catching art style and some cool-looking character designs for both sides of the struggle.

Anyway, I bought it and played it a bit… yep. It’s nowhere near as deep or as nuanced as PvZ. It’s very limited in the options for your defenses, and even the simple size of the battlefield limits the game. Also disappointing were the animations- pretty stiff and unappealing. Anyway it’s not horrible- but I think it’s slightly less appealing than the other PvZ clone, Dictator Defense. If you’re really itching for another sidescrolling TD game in lieu of PopCap’s title, perhaps you may give this a try. But well, after playing it, I’d much rather play something like Defender Chronicles instead. So… back to waiting for PvZ then…

Streetfighter Legends: Ibuki Issue 2 Cover Art

It’s an SF3 Babe Reunion care of artist Omar Dogan.

The first issue of UDON’s Streetfighter Legends: Ibuki mini-series isn’t out yet, but this early you can have a gander at the artworks for the sophomore issue’s cover.

The ‘Cover A’ artwork by interior artist Omar Dogan, features not just Ibuki but her classmate/rival Makoto, who’s looking angrier each time she appears (really, that girl is going to burst a blood vessel or something if she doesn’t relax or something) and another female fighter from Streetfighter 3, Elena the Capeoira-using African princess. The ‘Cover B’ artwork, by guest cover artist Judy Jong, features a more whimsical ninja girl solo with a bunch of woodland friends.

The comic, which will debut in March, features Ibuki’s adventures both in her ninja training and in her encounters on-campus with other martial arts girls. In between attacks by Geki Assassins and sparring with a over-energetic karate master, will Ibuki make it alive to recess?

Man, I can’t wait for this. Hopefully by the time the first issue hits we’ll finally have Capcom’s confirmation of Ibuki and Makoto in Super Streetfighter IV… crossing fingers.

Ibuki and her woodland friends from guest cover artist Judy Jong.

Drive-by Gaming

Chinatown Wars finally makes it to Asia.

WOOOHOOO!!!! Finally, FINALLY, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is available on the Asian iTunes Store. Yeah, I already have this PSP original on my Sony portable, but damn if it won’t be awesome to have this full-fledged GTA chapter on my iPhone.

The Rockstar mini-opus is priced at $9.99, which places it as one of the more pricey games on the appstore, but hey- it’s a full-on GTA title. No clone, no shortcuts here. I’ll be getting this as soon as I get back to my Gaming Sanctum.

Now all I need now is Plants vs Zombies…

Return to Ostagar, Returned!

If you’re still playing Dragon Age: Origins, you’ll be glad to know that you can wring an extra hour or so of play with the Return to Ostagar DLC adventure once again. The DLC episode, which was taken down from the Xboxlive Marketplace shortly after it appeared the first time some weeks ago, has finally been re-upped and is now working perfectly.

RTO lets players revisit the scene of the Grey Wardens’ and Ferelden’s greatest defeat and a veritable murder scene. Ostagar is where the Darkspawn horde massacred the army of King Cailan, your mentor Duncan among the many lost on the field. Now you can go back and mop the floor with the monsters still squatting on the ruins, and recover valuable artifacts such as Cailan’s armor and sword.

The episode is pretty brief, with about three stages, and enemies mostly consisting of Darkspawn. Depending on your characters’ levels, it can take about an hour or less to finish up the DLC, as it’s pretty straightforward. The challenge isn’t that hard, while goodies and loot are pretty good, although you may be underwhelmed by some of the stuff- though some tricks can upgrade the stuff to more impressive levels. It’s better to go after this adventure early on in your quest, so you can perhaps use the equipment found.

Dragon Age fans would do well to get this little bit- it’s a nice little extra and loose end which I think is enjoyable for those who really get into the story. At just 400 MS points, it’s cheap and quick but sweet.

10 Thoughts I Have About the iPad

That’s one freakin’ huge iPod Touch.

Wallpapers and movies on the thing should look freakin’ awesome.

If you get one, better invest in one heck of a nice case.

Snatcher Magnet.

Playing Plants VS Zombies on it, or any RTS, should be sweet.

Why no camera? Largest Viewscreen Ever Otherwise…

How hot can that thing get with heavy use?

I hope the speakers are proportionally better and louder to complement the size.

The keyboard dock is damn awesome.

I’m not sold on it, and I already have a damn iPhone already. But I’m sure I’ll be drooling nevertheless if I see this thing in person a few months from now.

SSFIV Anime Trailer in English

Here’s the recently-released trailer for the Xbox360-exclusive anime feature, now dubbed nicely in english. The audio was grabbed from the US version available on Xboxlive, so now we can figure out what’s going on with the new anti-heroine on the block, Juri Han. The voice acting is fine, I think- hearing Juri say more than “I’LL HAVE MY REVEEEENGE!!!” is pretty cool.

Looks to be pretty cut-and-dried to me; Juri makes her debut in another evil scheme cooked up by S.I.N. head honcho, Seth, along the way kidnapping the Shadaloo Dolls and seriously messing with the Interpol SF-ers. Will Juri be evil through and through, or will the kidnapped girl from years ago somehow show up and redeem herself? Nah…
Anyway, we’ll see in a few months when this anime pops up as we get our Super Streetfighter IV in late April.