Soulcalibur IV Halloween DLC

About a month early, All Hallow’s Eve-themed downloadable content for Soulcalibur IV has arrived on the PSN store (and Xboxlive Marketplace). Unfortunately, there’s really not much to the package. There’s a Witch’s Hat, a Wizard’s Cape, some ‘Short Slops’ for the females which is basically poofy short pants, and velvet shoes. Oh, and a large Pumpkin Head helmet. Halloween DLC. It’s really not good for anything but creating The Headless Horseman (or Horsewoman). The shorts are- well, they look damn stupid. I’ve been waiting for a proper pair of shorts for the ladies and this isn’t it. NOT worth the $1.99, unless you’re a completist. I just bought it in the hopes that Namco will make more, and hopefully BETTER DLC than this crap. Oh well.

Sheng Long

Famitsu of Japan has just reported in their latest issue that the infamous Gouken AKA Sheng Long is now in the Japanese arcade version of Streetfighter IV. The master of Ken and Ryu who was supposedly killed years ago by his brother, Gouki (Akuma), the most powerful practicioner of Shotokan is now back to show his power. Actually, Gouken/Sheng Long actually originated from a mistranslation years ago, and starred in a pretty popular April Fool’s joke in EGM. Well, after all this time, myth has become reality and Gouken’s apparently a real character now. Like Akuma, the old fighter will challenge expert players in SFIV, and will most probably become playable after a while.

Me? Not really excited. It’s just another Shotokan, at best with some variations of attacks and cool supers… at worst, an Akuma skin. WHERE ARE THE FREAKIN’ BABES, CAPCOM???

Anyway, box art of the home versions of SFIV, particularly the PS3 game, have been popping up online. The Japanese version features Ryu, while the US game features Chun Li on the cover (artwork)- no doubt tying in with the upcoming Chun Li Movie.

Where is my Tekken 6 PS3, Namco?

With the announcement of the arcade upgrade, Bloodline Rebellion, to Tekken 6, us fight-fans are of course understandably ranting… “WHERE IS MY CONSOLE TEKKEN, NAMCO-BANDAI!?!”

That said, sadly ladies and gents… I am pretty sure we won’t be seeing Bloodline Rebellion on console anytime soon. It’s an arcade release, and Namco-Bandai’s big card for their arcade operators. It’s something fresh, new and will get players back into arcades playing and spending again to earn tons more gold for cool new items and duds for their already-tricked out fighters. On the other hand though, this means that Tekken 6 Classic (the non-BR game) won’t be the hottest thing in the arcade… however, it’s gonna be awesome on console. So we can probably expect an announcement soon (hopefully) of the long-awaited console port of Tekken 6. Almost surely, it’s a PS3-exclusive… Tekken has always been a Sony exclusive, and will remain so as far as I can tell. EVERYONE and their mother is screaming for Tekken 6 on console, though not everyone is really that aware of BR. Plain ol’ Tekken 6 will do just fine. Of course, we won’t just be getting a plain ol’ port- Namco has always done excellent home conversions, and along with arcade-perfect graphics and gameplay should come home-only extras like Story Mode and all those cool CG cinematics, VS and Team Battle play and all the stuff that came with the arcade version (and hopefully a little bit more).

As for BR… wait some time after the December release, and eventually the upgrade will be available as well, perhaps as DLC just as Dark Resurrection was. Who knows… maybe a PSP release will eventually be available too (don’t count on that though).

So let’s all just be patient. TGS is just around the corner, and a lot of things can happen before now and Christmas. I don’t expect a release this year (maybe early 2009), but at least an announcement may be coming very soon. Tekken 6 is Namco-Bandai’s only big fighter coming. There’s nothing else. It’s INEVITABLE.

More on this as we get it.

Snake Eater for Real

Watching the show Man Versus Wild on Discovery Channel suddenly reminded me of ol’ Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Particularly the bit about eating pretty much anything that walks or crawls that you can get your hands on in the wilderness. Man, that Bear Grylls has gotta have a cast-iron stomach. I’m not sure I can just scarf down a tree frog or munch on a snake like a piece of licorice, but then again, if it’s a matter of survival… That’s why I’m a gamer, and not an outsdoorsman. I prefer my food cooked, thank you. Save for sushi.

Max Payne is in Manila

I noticed from today’s newspaper that Max Payne, the movie adaptation of the bullet-time 3rd person shooter starring Mark Wahlberg, is already showing in Metro Manila theaters. I was never a fan of the games, but the trailers intrigued me. I mean, what the heck are angels or demons doing in this hard-boiled action flick? Anyway, the visuals look slick, Wahlberg is a pretty good action star, and I know enough about the game to know it has tons of stuff I’d enjoy- namely sex and violence, in over-the-top cinematic glam. I’ll be sure to catch this within the week, and put up a review as soon as i can.

Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion Trailer and Impressions

Here’s the trailer for Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion from the AM Show in Japan. A clear, streaming version is available on the Tekken Official site, but high traffic will surely make watching that pretty hard. Luckily, someone’s shared the vid on the Tube.

Lars Alexandersson looks pretty slick in his armor-like costume, despite looking like a European Jin or a Super Saiyan. The lion-like breastplate reminds me of Griever from FFVIII. A ‘rebel’ seeking to bring about a new civilization… perhaps he represents a third party in the Tekken 6 conflict, fighting against both the Mishima Zaibatsu and G-Corp? Looking at him, I can’t help but be reminded of Laocorn Godaemus from the Fatal Fury motion picture.

As expected, Alisa Bosconovitch is not all that she seems- she’s apparently a robot or android/cyborg, as shown by her ability to sprout mechanical wings and fly, and extend chainsaws from her arms. The surprise at the end is pretty crazy… and awesome. Exploding head… man, and I thought I had seen everything in Tekken.

The returning characters get new costumes- I hope we don’t just get one or two. Come on, Namco! After all this time each character should have a nice, full wardrobe. I particularly like Zafina’s sexy new outfit (capris and instep guards are sexy) and Lili’s futuristic dress. LOL at Marduk’s masked wrestler look. It seems that hakamas will be a common item, at least for males.

Bryan has a freakin’ gatling gun. Raven has a large shuriken. Miguel can now do a Honkytonk Man Impression. But how can you top Xiaoyu’s new magic wand, which wraps the opponent’s head in a cute panda mask?

Dragunov seems to have taken a peek into Raphael’s (SCIV) closet. On the other hand, Lili can now summon penguins (or Prinnies?)… and unlike Bruce’s chicks, they can ATTACK!

The new stages look cool, although all seem to be at night or in the dark. I love the hotel with the fountains, although the one with the crashing helicopter reminds me of Tekken Tag Tournament for some reason…

The new hair customization seems very expansive- you can add hair in layers (add bangs, tails, etc) and use stuff from other characters… so you can have Asuka wear Jin’s hair if you want (BUT WHY?). Color also seems to be more varied- hopefully you can mix or pick your own shades and tints, instead of just buying specific-colored hair.

A less crystalline, more fleshy and bloody Azazel was shown as well. He’ll surely be tougher and more powerful. No sign of Nancy though…

MAN! That was awesome. I can’t wait for this upgrade! December’s gonna be a long wait. Hopefully news of the PS3 release will come soon and tide us over while we agonizingly anticipate this next big thing in fighting games. More on this as we get it!

Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion First Details!

The first clear images and information about Tekken 6’s arcade upgrade, Bloodline Rebellion, have been posted by Andriasang.com. The goods come straight from Tokyo’s Amusement Machine Show, which opened today. Apparently, Tekken 6 BR is running on several kiosks at the show, and is in playable form. The upgrade features quite a few new elements which make it a pretty considerable change from the original arcade version.

New Characters! As reported earlier, two new faces enter the roster.

Alisa Bosconovitch, the new babe on the block, is apparently some sort of cyborg or robot- according to the report, she seems to sprout weapons like chainsaws or even mechanical wings during the match. Even crazier, at one point she takes off her head and uses it as a bomb. SHE TAKES OFF HER HEAD, folks. CRAZY! Well, let me say this… I think we called it quite close. WOOHOO!

As for Lars Alexandersson, there’s not much known yet about him but he’s described as “a rebel who’s risen to build a new era”. Hmm. Whatever.

With the addition of these two challengers, the roster is now at 40- as mentioned in the earlier writeups of T6, the largest lineup in a Tekken game ever. So finally, Namco is fulfilling the stuff they’ve been crowing about. The veteran fighters all get new moves and updated balance (hopefully guys like Bob and Leo will get much-needed tweaks). There were a couple of new stages, as yet unnamed. One was a fiery ruined harbor, while another had a chopper crash into a building.

As expected, there will be new costumes for the returning characters- Lili was seen in a slick new costume wtih thigh-high boots; Marduk in a masked wrestler outfit and Kazuya in hakamas, while Xiaoyu is sporting a new skirted outfit. There will also be new items and customizations. Shown in the video was a gatling gun for Bryan, a magic wand for Ling that shoots out stars and hearts, and apparently one item that summons penguins from the ground (!). Hairstyles for characters will also be much more customizable, allowing players to combine hair elements to their liking.

For the whole report and lots of pics from the AM show, check out Andriasang.com’s Tekken 6 BR Coverage.

What can I say? I’m pretty pumped, that’s what! Alisa the Robot Girl sounds WILD, and I can’t wait to see the stuff she can do. Can’t wait to see the new items, new costumes and new moves! Damn, it’s a while yet till December, and who knows when BR will appear here locally in my parts (if even at all)… but I am hoping this is all a prelude for the PS3 release- Namco MUST release Tekken 6 on PS3 with all these BR additions. They MUST, damn it! Anyway, more on this as we get it. Looking forward to actual video footage and more pics! Later then.

Tekken 6 BR Musings: Alisa Boskonovitch

Okay, it’s just a day away from the Tokyo AM Show, and perhaps by tomorrow we’ll finally find out more about Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion and the two new fighters apparently joining the tournament. But let me take this time to do a little speculating and guessing, and let’s see how much we hit or miss.

Alisa Boskonovitch. What do we know about her? Well, aside from the familiar surname, precious very little. Looking at the blurred single pic, we can see she’s got shoulder-length pink hair, an unusual skirted dress, gloves and stockings. That’s it. From here, let’s try to build and figure out what this new babe might be all about.

Boskonovitch, of course, is a reference to Dr. Gepetto Boskonovitch, that scientific genius (and one-time playable character) instrumental to many of Tekken’s storylines. It’s certainly too odd a name to give to a new fighter who ISN’T related to Dr. B., so it’s probably safe to assume Alisa is related. Is she his daughter or grand-daughter? Probably the latter. Perhaps Alisa is the so-called daughter who had an affliction before which necessitated the acquisition of the Ogre’s Blood way back in Tekken 3. Then there’s that whole cold-sleep thing.

Anyway, Alisa may be the girl who was given the Ogre Blood, or sent into Cold Sleep, or both. In any case, she’s awake and for some reason finds a reason to join the full-contact madness of Tekken. Why? My ready guess is that she’s in this for revenge- Bryan Fury supposedly killed or injured Dr. B. soon after he was given the Perpetual Energy Generator that serves as his heart… Alisa would naturally want to take that heart back, preferably from Bryan’s cold, quivering corpse. Maybe it’s just to get funding to cure her old man- though that reason is far too similar to Christie Monteiro’s. On a wild hunch, maybe her Ogre Blood infusion is driving her to fight in the tournament?

On another aspect, what fighting style could Alisa have? As the daughter or grand-daughter of a scientist, she really shouldn’t have any martial arts training. And I think that the devs have already drawn the improvised fighting style-card with Lili’s “Tricking” streetfighter style. So how will Alisa fight?
I’m thinking maybe Alisa will fight with the help of science. Maybe she’ll have enhanced abilities and powers? Maybe she’ll be like Crimson Viper in SFIV, and use gadgets? Maybe she’ll be passed off as a genius like her father, only in physical skills, so she will have some sort of deadly special forces crap to use?

In any case, it should be pretty interesting to see what fighting style Alisa eventually reveals. I’m hoping it’s interesting and unique, instead of just being your generic fast-girl style.

Lastly, how will she act? Will she be all winsome and sweet (“Forgive me, but I have no choice but to fight…”) or will she be slutty (“Did that do it for you, big boy?”) or bitchy (“No one can stop me!”)? Pink hair, girly costume- probably she’ll be nice and sweet but confident. Or not.

Well then, what can we say? I’m throwing that Alisa is the grand-daughter of Dr. B., out to cure her father who got fragged by Bryan Fury. If she can take out some payback on the evil cyborg, all the better. How will she do it? Alisa’s Ogre Blood infusion or her grandfather’s experiments gave her unusual abilities which she can use to defend herself and deal out the pain. Expect some weird but cool attacks and perhaps some psionic/psychic abilities? Such a girl will be driven but naive, sweet but dangerous. She’s certainly something to check out when Bloodline Rebellion finally breaks out.

How right or wrong will we be? We’ll just have to see.

Tekken 6 Bloodline Rebellion: New Blood!

Alisa Boskonovitch… the new babe in town?

The new guy is named Lars Alexanderson… well… it could have been worse… he could have been named Owen…

Even more fighters? Or just custom costumes? Man, BR looks to be a very meaty upgrade!

UPDATED! Pics are beginning to slip online showing images from mags or promo materials for the upcoming arcade upgrade, Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion. Earlier, SD-Tekken brought word of a new female character named Alisa Boskonovitch, a newcomer perhaps related to Dr. Boskonovitch. But that’s not all, it seems- a pic of another new character- a spikey-haired male apparently named Lars Alexanderson– has appeared, along with a poster showing Alisa, Lars, and what appear to be several other characters! Is Bloodline Rebellion seeing a whole wave of new challengers?

On the black and white poster, judging from the way Alisa and Lars are positioned on each side, the smaller figures on the lower part may simply be old characters in new costumes or customizations, but we’ll have to wait for clearer pics and info to be sure. Man, would it have killed the photographer to use a decent camera?

We’ll keep on this like bees on honey! Man, Tekken 6BR looks like it’s going to be the talk of the fighting game world later this week.

Musing about Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion

It’s about four or five days to the AM Show in Tokyo, Japan… and our first look at the arcade upgrade to Tekken 6, Bloodline Rebellion. It’s been more than ten months since the original came out- since then, I’ve played Tekken 6 a LOT. So what do I expect from this add-on?

New Characters. Arcade upgrades usually mean new faces joining the fight. Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution added Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami. Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection gave us Lili Rochefort (Yayers!) and Sergei Dragunov (and a returning Armor King). So it’s quite natural to assume we’ll be seeing at least one or as many as two or three new contenders. I’m hoping for a new guy and girl, and a returning veteran. It’s pretty impossible to predict what kind of all-new fighter will emerge, so perhaps it’s easier to speculate on a possible returning old face. Kunimitsu has continually been asked for by fans. Perhaps we’ll see the stealthy kunoichi back? Me, I never cared much for Kuni- she was really just a Yoshi rip-off, given a bit of sex appeal in Tekken Tag, and then nothing. If we were to see an old face return, I’d settle for… Unknown. Yep, the mysterious, nameless female boss from Tekken Tag, with her hot ‘body paint’ and ‘burnt white dress’ outfits. Unfortunately, with Mokujin already available, another mimic character would be pointless. Still, one can always dream…

More Customizations. Let me say it. Tekken 6 rocks in many ways- the animation and gameplay is awesome (bound combos and all), the roster overflowing with cool fighters… but the customization is lacking. Simply put, Virtua Fighter 5R and even a console fighter, Soulcalibur IV, kick Tekken 6’s butt when it comes to customization.
Tekken 6’s customs are basically like VF5- you’re given several costumes, each of which consist of several pieces, which you can then mix and match. Some alternatives for each piece, or color variants, can be bought. It’s pretty limited, particularly in the light of SCIV’s cool CAS feature. Even VF5 has overcome the initial limitations by the Sega AM2 team’s frequent and numerous additional items and stuff to trick out and pimp your fighter. Tekken 6? Not much. Perhaps not just an infusion of new customs and additional tops and pants is in order- perhaps an overhaul of the whole customization feature is in order. Really, Character Customization is big, and it’s here to stay. Tekken 6’s got great looks, let’s take it even farther.

New Moves. A couple of new attacks, throws or combo strings can never hurt. It always rocks to have a new weapon or surprise to throw at your opponents. VF5R added cool wall throws and new grapples, killer combos and side-defense. T6BR doesn’t need to throw away the controversial Bound System and Rage Mode, but let’s see fixes to consistent complaints.

Tag Teams. I am not sure if we’ll ever see Tekken Tag Tournament 2. But why wait when you could add the feature in BR? Bound combos would complement tag team tactics immensely, so it would be a great fit (I know tons of players out there would disagree, of course). Tag team action would also be cool to see how certain characters react to each other- would it be possible to team up Jin and his dad/nemesis, Kazuya? Nina and Anna? Tag team throws and attacks would be awesome as well- something DOA actually did far better than Tekken ever did. Now’s the time to add this in, Namco! Go for it!

New CG Intro. I’m not expecting an overly-long cinematic, but perhaps a new cutscene would be a prelude to the eventual intro movie to the home version of Tekken 6. Any new CG would perhaps explain a bit about the upgrade’s new subtitle. Certainly, Bloodline Rebellion refers to the Mishima bloodline, and the ongoing conflict between the forces of Jin’s Mishima Zaibatsu and Kazuya’s G-Corporation. The many fighters of the roster are divided among these two camps, and hopefully we’ll see cool images and moments of these rivalries in any new cinematics. And perhaps we’ll also see an end in sight to this climactic battle between father and son.

There’s really no shortage of speculation in the coming upgrade, given how gamers have been waiting almost a year, impatiently, for Tekken 6 PS3. I’m hoping against hope that Namco does indeed finally announce something about the console port along with BR. I’ve been waiting so long, Namco. I want my Tekken 6 already!!!

Four days to the AM Show. More info as we get it.