HEY! We’ve Moved! Introducing: TheLoneGamer.Net!

Asuka sez: “Click on me and bookmark TheLoneGamer.Net or I’m gonna kick your butt!”

Hey there people! I mentioned that a little change would be happening to the blog on Twitter recently, and here it is. I guess I just came to the sudden realization that, hey, I’ve been doing this Lone Gamer thing for quite a bit of time- several years, in fact- so I guess I should get a wee bit more serious. So, I went and got my own domain for the blog, so now we’re not just an ordinary wordpress blog anymore, but our own little piece of the .net world!

TheLoneGamer.Net is now live! What does this mean? Well, not really that much- it just lets me have that much more control over the site, do a bit more with the help of an actual web guy and put on neat new widgets, eventually fix up my template and make the blog even slicker and maybe even earn a bit with some ads.
But what won’t change is that you’ll still be getting the same sincere, light-hearted, always-earnest, from-the-hip Hardcore Casual Gameblogging from A Single Player’s Perspective as you’ve always enjoyed for the past several years.

In any case, I will be keeping the old blog up for archival, redirecting and sentimental reasons. But if you come here regularly, bookmark TheLoneGamer.Net and let’s all just pretend nothing happened, but did. Wink, Wink!

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Announced for AOU 2011!

Playable! Not Playable! Playable! Not Playable!

Okay, we all know THAT, thanks to numerous leaky tweets from the Ultimate Tekken Mole, Katsuhiro Harada (who’s fairly in deep with anything that’s involved with this game). However, it’s only recently that Namco-Bandai itself has acknowledged this, on their new AOU site, which lists all their to-be-featured games including Tekken Tag 2 (of course, who cares about some stoopid Dragonball games…). Anyway, the entry for TTT2 mentions some intriguing features:

• Best-ever 3-D fighting character lineup!
• New Tag Gameplay!
• Redesigned Card System!
• Live monitor system to connect the world!

Wow! Harada didn’t mention any of those things. Well, at least not in those big-sounding words. This probably means that if Tag 2 is playable at the expo, we’ll be seeing, hopefully, the new Tag-Team Gameplay, how the arcade system will handle Cards and keeping all your player records and customizations all saved up, plus a hint of the online mechanics. Oh, and hopefully we’ll also have a look at the game’s roster- the biggest in a Tekken game yet.

Awesome-sounding stuff, but sadly, still about a week and a half away on Feb. 18-19. Till then, one can always re-watch the last TTT2 trailer another couple thousand times…

Jax and Sonya to Reunite for Mortal Kombat Web Series

Double Flawless!

Some time ago, it was confirmed that director Kevin Tancharoen’s indie effort with Mortal Kombat: Rebirth has borne fruit with an all-new 10-episode web series that will fit into the MK canon. Hand in hand with the announcement was that Michael Jai White will be reprising his role of Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs from Rebirth into the upcoming webisodes. Well, now we get his partner as well. Through her verified Twitter account, actress Jeri Ryan has confirmed that she’ll playing Sonya Blade for the web series, which is now shooting. This is great news, indeed. Having both actors from Rebirth return should go a long way to keeping at least some of the flavor of Rebirth that fans latched onto so readily into the new MK series.

UPDATE: Apparently Ian Anthony Dale has also confirmed via Twitter that he will indeed reprise his role of Hanzo Hisashi for the web series. Oh, wait… Hanzo Hisashi is dead… his name… is Scorpion.

Super Streetfighter IV 3D Producer Interview

Ono spills the goods on the upcoming SSFIV portable edition.

Gamespot recently did an interview with Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono on the upcoming Super Streetfighter IV 3D Edition on the Nintendo 3DS. Check it out for some of Ono’s insights on this new game as well as quite a bit of cool footage. This is one of the reasons why I’m probably going to get myself a 3DS when it comes out in a few months. Great fighting games on the go are awesome.

Battleheart on iPhone/iPad: Kill with Cuteness!

Don’t let the cute looks fool you; Battleheart is hardcore combat.

iOS gamers who love strategic battles are surely looking forward to seeing Square-Enix’s classic turn-based battler, Final Fantasy Tactics, on their iPhones and iPods within the year, but for now there’s more than enough battling and stat-raising with various fantasy RPG class-types in Battleheart. Brought to the appstore by Mika Mobile, the makers of the now-classic Zombieville USA (which shows in BH’s distinct art style and animation), Battleheart is something similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.

Well, really, both titles have as many differences as they have similarities. FFT is in semi-3D, while BH is totally, flatly 2D. Both games have a ‘cutesy’ look which is a bit of a disconnect from the simple fact that they’re both about WAR and COMBAT and KILLING. FFT has a complex, high-hat epic tale with plots within plots, threads that interlock and intertwine. Battlehearts just has you and your comrades defending the kingdom (well, at least, at first). But in the end, both games share one big commonality- you have to take a bunch of cute, SD-looking recruits and turn them into the most bad-ass, efficient and awe-inspiring death-dealers on the battlefield and mow all opposition down in every stage.

The controls in BH are deceptively simple- you can have up to four party members on the field at once. You take control of each one by simply tapping them with your finger to select them, and then drawing a line to any point on the field- on any unoccupied spot to make them move, on an enemy to make them attack, or on a comrade to do some beneficial move (such as healing). For the most part, your members will do their assigned task until you take command of them again and have them go somewhere else or fight something else, or they die.

In between battles you earn gold and experience, which you can parlay for better equipment, armor and weapons, and to access powerful skills and powers as your dudes or dudettes rise in level. You can grind as much as you want in stages you complete. Instead of creating party members from scratch, you recruit them from the local tavern, where unhired warriors, thieves or other potential members (there are supposedly 8 different classes of characters) hang out.

So far I am enjoying BH pretty much- the controls are perfect for the touchscreen of the iOS devices, and whether it’s on an iPhone or a larger iPad, it’s pretty easy to pick your guys out even in the middle of a messy melee (though mistakes can lead to some trouble, but heck- see if in real life giving orders on a chaotic battlefield would be any easier). I’ve yet to plumb the depths or go the distance yet in this game, but so far I’m enjoying taking my time and grinding as I advance.

Battleheart is available now on the appstore for $2.99, and it’s a Universal app, which means it works full-screen in full resolution whatever your iOS device. FFT seems still a ways off, so nicely I’ll be busy and happy till then. Full review to come soon.

Tekken Tweets: New Tekken Tag 2 Screens!

Paul and Law give newcomer Jaycee a Welcoming Tag Throw.

Fresh from his latest slugfest with Ono, Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada has just posted a few choice screenshots from the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2. This comes on the heels of the recent appearance online of a magazine scan from the latest issue of Arcadia Magazine, showing off several returning characters’ new artworks and some screenshots. Check out the new images in full-size over at Harada’s Twipple.

Lars and his now-young old man get to have a rematch.

So far the game looks pretty gorgeous, but I’m sure all of us are wanting to see it in motion. Just a couple more weeks, dudes- AOU 2011 should be here before we know it. Till then, let’s hope Harada-san doles out some more screens and art.

Devil Jin is back and looks freakin’ awesome.

Lili Rochefort Speaking in French!

“Mon dieu! Sacre Bleu! Escargot!”

It’s been confirmed in past updates from Katsuhiro Harada on Twitter that for Tekken Tag Tournament 2, characters will be speaking their native languages. This will be changing up the way it was done in past games: Lili Rochefort, for example, has been speaking English since her debut in Tekken 5. For TTT2, she’ll be speaking French (the language spoken in Monaco). What would that sound like? Well, one Lili fan on Youtube was intrigued enough to make a simulation video, dubbing over Lili with some French dialogue. Check ot the vid above!
Note: The audio is taken from a French-dubbed episode of the X-1999 anime so they’re not really what Lili should be saying in her win quotes.

My take? I’m gonna miss Lili’s old English voice (maybe they’ll get the same actress, just speaking in French?), but French is a really beautiful language to hear, and that should match Miss Rochefort perfectly. Can’t wait to see/hear TTT2 in action soon!

Ono VS Harada… Round 2, FIGHT!

One shall stand, one shall fall!

Lately Twitter has become a battlefield- well, at least, a mudslinging arena, for the two dueling developers that comprise the leading franchises of the beat ‘em up genre today. On one side, Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono, the deceptively jovial producer of the Streetfighter franchise. On the other, Namco-Bandai’s Katsuhiro Harada, iron-fisted director of the Tekken games. Their rivalry started when the two announced the Fighting Game Festival and their companies’ quasi-joint venture in producing two cross-over fighters using both of their iconic titles.

Ono X Harada, in video…

Ono has amped up the conflict, breaking into Namco-Bandai headquarters in the US and vandalizing the premises (well, apparently this was limited to Harada-san’s photographs) and blatantly impersonating Dead Rising’s Frank West. Harada-san attempted a similar invasion of Capcom’s HQ in Japan, but was promptly held up at the lobby when he presented his rather noticeable assault rifle and samurai sword.

Ok, this is really (right..?) all just a continuation of the two producers’ good-natured ribbing at each other as they continue to promote their much-anticipated fighting titles. Supposedly, Ono’s visit to NB USA was to talk about his upcoming Streetfighter X Tekken, which is sadly still very much lacking in any images or video aside from the initial media from months and months ago. Still, he assures gamers that the game IS being developed as of this very moment.

Judging from how long Streetfighter IV and SSFIV took to come out, it may be a bit of time still before we see the Tekken fighters in Capcom’s semi-cartoony/semi-serious graphic style, but perhaps we’ll see more stuff on it by E3 or other game shows later this year. As for Harada’s Tekken X Streetfighter, there’s probably even LESS to see, and supposedly the Tekken team will still be open to fan suggestions on the lineup till the end of the year (no hurry, guys!).

Well, at least fight fans have Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to look forward to in the near future, of which gameplay footage should be available in a couple of weeks when the game appears at the upcoming AOU 2011 Expo on February 18-19. Till then, as has been the case so far, expect screens or art to filter in through the cracks of the interwebs as we inch our way to the gaming shows. More as we get it then!

My Streetfighter X Tekken Match-Up Wish List

I guess that’s why Nina’s called ‘The Blonde Bomb’…

According to what I’ve gathered, Streetfighter X Tekken, the Capcom-developed Cross-over fighter, will be the second game of the Fighting Festival series (which includes the currently-in-development Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the very-far-away Tekken X Streetfighter). Supposedly Yoshinori Ono and team are going into this title’s development right after their chores with SSFIV Arcade Edition and SSFIV 3D. I also got a tweet response from Ono-san that they will be only taking character suggestions for the roster only for a little while longer, so I guess I should get my ten cents in while he’s still open to it.
So here are my picks for fighters getting thrown into Next Big Mash-up Game. The way I’ve organized my picks is by match-up: a World Warrior corresponding to a nemesis Iron Fist Fighter.

M.Bison vs Heihachi. A no-brainer… these are the two big baddies of either franchise, and both have the seeming-invincibility of Wile E. Coyote. Bison has been obliterated several times but keeps coming back like a psycho-powered Terminator. Heihachi has survived being dropped off a cliff, time-travelling into the dark ages and getting blasted point blank with an mammoth explosion. The Shadaloo Dictator may have flashier powers, but time has proven that a strong enough fist can reach him where it hurts. In the end, maybe it’ll fall to who bribes the referees more.

Guile vs Paul. Once and for all, let’s decide on who has the right to wear the HAIR. Guile’s methodical, deliberate baiting style of fighting may be a hard match against Paul’s steamroller offense, but this should be a pretty good clash between two veteran combatants tested in down-and-dirty brawling.

Dhalsim vs Yoshimitsu. Two very different but very odd fighters match up. Sim with his stretchy limbs and fiery Yoga attacks against Yoshi’s sword techniques and mystical weirdness. Both have teleports and can strike from weird angles and tangents. Who’s more powerful? Who’s more weird? Only one way to find out!

Sakura vs Xiaoyu. These two represent each franchise’s youthful energy. It will be interesting to see how Ling’s style, with her Art of the Phoenix stances translate Streetfighter-style. Sakura’s straightforward offense should be a pretty interesting match against Ling’s deceptive evades and strikes.

Zangief vs King. The iconic grapplers from two worlds clash! Zangief may not have the huge arsenal of moves that King has, but he brings raw power. But ‘Gief may just as easily find himself eating Chain Grapples and a Musclebomber just as easily as he can dispense a Spinning Piledriver.

Makoto vs Asuka. Two hot-headed tomboys, both heirs to martial arts schools and growing up in a boys’ world. Once again, an interesting match-up given Makoto’s penchant for in-your-face, relentless offense versus Asuka’s more versatile style and potent reversals. What will win? Rindou-kan or Kazama-Ryu? Standard Dogi or Hakamas? I wanna know!

Ibuki vs Raven. These two represent the conventional ninja in each of their franchises, complete with shuriken, kunai, smoke bombs, deceptive tactics and efficient killing strikes. Ibuki’s the faster one with an impressive barrage of attacks that come from every direction. Raven on the other hand has an obvious edge in physical strength and enduranbce, plus his own bag of shinobi trickery. This will be a close one.

Karin Kanzuki vs Lili Rochefort Two hot blonde heiresses who both have killer skills to match their killer checkbooks. Both use self-taught martial arts and have tested them against opponents in down-and-dirty streetfights and deathmatches. While Karin and Lili should be a close and deaadly match-up, I think big and burly Ishizaki (Karin’s attendant) is more than a match for old, feeble Sebastian… unless the senior butler turns out to be a super killer werewolf elder master (oh, wait… wrong franchise).

Nina vs Cammy. Though originally matched up with Chun-Li (and in many ways they are kinda matched up, being the first ladies of each franchise), I think Miss Williams is much better ranged against the Delta Red’s former Killer Bee. Both of these blonde bombshells are deadly special forces operatives with similar traumatic cases of amnesia and psychosis. Cammy’s faster and loaded with high-flying attacks, while Nina is more methodical with ground-based grapples. This is one fight that really MUST happen.

Streetfighter X Tekken won’t be happening for a while- but things ARE happening judging from Yoshinori Ono’s recent visit (or invasion is perhaps a better word) of Namco-Bandai’s headquarters in the US. Hopefully there will be more news, perhaps screenshots or even video, coming soon… or at least in the next couple of months. Till then, I’ll be going back to pining for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 then.

Dead or Alive 5 Screenshot?

Are Kokoro and the DOA babes coming to PS3?

This intriguing pic was posted on the Fighter’s Generation Twitter recently, and apparently shows the Menu Screen for an early build of Dead or Alive 5, supposedly for the PS3. As much as I’d love to have a new entry in Tecmo’s sexy brawler, I have a funny feeling this is fake. Kokoro’s character model looks no better from DOA4 (which may be from where it was taken), and everything else can easily be done with some Photoshop work. The inclusion of ‘Chronos’ in the menu, which was the project defunct DOA producer Itagaki was supposedly working on before he left, seems an obvious ploy to rope in fans.
In fact, I’d rather that this really NOT be a look at DOA5, since then I’d be quite dismayed at the apparent lack of improvement of the character models- after such a long time, I’d want the characters to at least look a lot better.

Still, who knows? Maybe this is real… I certainly think that with DOA Dimensions coming out on 3DS, Tecmo-Koei is certainly wanting to go places again with their fighting franchise. We’ll just have to wait and see for more stuff to turn up soon.