SoulCalibur V, the latest entry in Namco Bandai’s 3D fighting game franchise, is on store shelves and ready for you to hack and slash opponents into submission. We had the opportunity to get our grubby lil’ paws on the game a few weeks ago before it hit retail, and got some serious sessions in–one of which you see here.

In the clip above, Jeffrey L. Wilson (left) gets absolutely ruined by Avion-Foster Jarvis (right). Full disclosure: Wilson hates 3D fighters, his stick was faulty, his cat died that morning, and the dog ate his homework. FACT.

So, check out the video and let us know your early SoulCalibur V opinions. Are you happy with the game’s new “friendlier” direction?

Earlier this week, Capcom released a fact sheet providing details of what we can expect from Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Playstation Vita. Set for a February 22 release date, the game appears to be a standard port from it’s Xbox 360 and PS3 versions at first glance, but Capcom has a few surprises to keep the title fresh that will utilize the technology of the Vita.
NEW FEATURES FOR THE PLAYSTATION VITA

• Touch screen control mode – new control scheme based on the touch screen provides an easy and exciting experience for anyone to enjoy.
• NEAR costume sharing – features an exclusive Gold Herald color option for all characters which are obtained through trades with friends.
• Heroes & Heralds mode available at launch – this free update is a separate mode that adds new and customizable features to online and offline gameplay. Players choose between two factions – Heroes or Heralds – and utilize combat enhancing Ability cards in a series of battles to help save the world or take it over.
• Spectator Mode and Replay function – players can watch or share exciting matches over wi-fi.
• “Ultimate Controller” – gamers can use the PS Vita as a controller to play the PS3 version of the game through this exclusive configuration.
• Replay analyzer – download and analyze replay data, exclusively on the PlayStation Vita.
• 3G leaderboard access – for PlayStation Vita 3G owners, view the online leaderboards on-the-go.
• DLC sharing with PS3 – DLC purchased from the console version can be used on the PlayStation Vita version at no charge

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the Vita releases on February 22 with a MSRP of $39.99.

Do you think the game will be worth the price? Let us know!

Street Fighter IV slices, dices, makes julienne fries.

There was one thing I saw a lot of at CES this year. A whole lot of Street Fighter IV.

A company called Aiwi used it to demonstrate an app that controls the game with motion sensing. It worked… kind of. It worked very poorly for me, but the booth’s attendant had a good handle on it.

Plantronics used it to demo one of its headsets as well.

Now, two instances of Street Fighter IV is a coincidence. Three’s a pattern. It was already at LG’s booth. Something tells me if I scoured each and every corner of this year’s show. I’d find more instances of Ryu, Akuma and Sakura duking it out to demo some new (or old) cockamamie device. Maybe it lends itself well to trade show events. Big, colorful characters, loud flashy effects and sound to draw you in, competitive multiplayer to keep you in the booth.

Avion and I spent a few rounds at Plantronics booth just duking it out. His Chun-Li bested my Sakura, but his Akuma fell before my Cody. Perhaps its prevalence at the show was because it’s such a good game?

And Plantronics’ headset was nice too, even if it is only for Xbox 360. No PS3 or PC support? In 2012? C’mon, guys!

A Hyper K.O. finish - beautiful as the sunrise.

Street Fighter IV like you've never seen it before!

A lot of people want the insanely difficult dungeon crawler Dark Souls on PC. There’s even an enormous petition for it, with somewhere around 50,000 signatures last I saw, and Namco Bandai themselves said it might be possible. But unless they massively overhaul the UI, camera and controls I have my doubts it will work. It’s just too much to re-do and recalibrate frankly, some things should remain where they are. Birds in the sky, fish in the sea.

Take Street Fighter IV, a complicated, rich 2D fighting game that requires precise control and tactile feedback to pull off complicated combos and attacks. A game like that begs for a gamepad or ideally, a fight stick, yet it still finds its way on platforms that have no business hosting this kind of experience. At CES 2012 yesterday I found the game playing on the Spectrum, a new smartphone from LG that uses the True HD IPS display for denser and sharper pixels than usual AMOLED displays. None of that really matters for Street Fighter though, as it was a pixelated, claustrophobic version of the game we all played before on consoles or in the arcade.

It just doesn’t make sense to me. It was impossible to pull off combos or anything more detailed than a basic Hadouken or Shoryuken (I played Ken vs. a brainless Viper in the training level) unless I tapped the Ultra or Super bars to activate those particular moves automatically. Just … why? It’s a decent time waster at best, I guess, but why waste your time with that when you can play an actual game that was actually designed for Android phones. Like that game about birds and pigs.

Birds in the sky, fish in the sea. Or uh, fireball-throwing pugilists on consoles, not on smartphones. It does come pre-installed on the Spectrum though, so there’s that.

I feel like I’m a teenager again.

Unfortunately, it has nothing do to my physical state of being, which gets a little more challenging to maintain as I approach my 38th year. Instead, the warm fuzzy that I feel comes from reflecting on 2011′s video game releases; releases that transported the industry back to the ’90s.

It was during that time frame when I was introduced to fighting games, and the culture of competition that emerged with them. Street Fighter II and its various updates collected my quarters, as did the original Mortal Kombat and a handful of other titles. Twenty years later, Street Fighter IV has received its own updates, and a most excellent Mortal Kombat reboot surprised both believers and doubters with its quality.

2011 saw Capcom strike fighting gold with the hyper-kinetic Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (and caused many to double dip with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3), but unlike past years, this fighting release won’t be an oddity drifting in a  sea of FPS and sports titles. King of Fighters XIII (SNK’s follow up to the underrated KOF XII) returned SNK Playmore to 2D fighting game glory with its excellent HD sprites and deep, technical gameplay. Hell, I even name it my personal game of the year. Fighting games are officially back. But why did they go away?

As with many questions of this nature, the answer is never cut and dry. Blame it on the constant barrage of Street Fighter II updates that made even diehards question Capcom’s motives. Me-too cookie cutter clones. The death of the arcade. The uneasy shift from 2D to 3D. It’s difficult to discern which, if any, of these occurrences were the primary factor in the fall of fighting games, but by the time Street Fighter III made its debut (at least in my neck of the gaming woods) the rabid fanaticism was gone. Fighting games may not have died, but they certainly took a back seat in many gamers’ minds leaving the genre in the hands of guys like Justin Wong and the most hardcore of the hardcore.

Fast forward to the present and everything old in video gaming in new again. Instead of arcades we have online play. Instead of local in-house tournaments, we have EVO. And developers such as Capcom have simplified complex inputs to make them more mainstream-friendly. The video game industry itself has created an environment conducive for the return of fighting games.

What worked in the past is what works in the present, and in the future: Developers tapping into that reptilian portion of the brain that see us taking deep pleasure in devastating a foe. There’s a pure satisfaction that comes from systematically destroying an opponent in one-on-one combat; it’s the reason why boxing, MMA, and other combat sports rake in millions each year. Many of my finest video game-related memories involve dragon punching enemies out of the air and witnessing a defeated foe’s spine being ripped from its body.

2012 will be another strong year for fighting games, as the 2D-X crew will touch upon soon enough.

Let’s continue to show support.

Tekken Hybrid, the 3-in-1 fighting game extravaganza featuring the Tekken Blood Vengeance 3D movie, Tekken Tag Tournament HD, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue, recently hit store shelves much to the delight of fighting game fans. A special premium version, Tekken Hybrid Limited Edition ($59.99, Amazon), accompanied it and added splooge-worthy extras such as a two-disc CD soundtrack, artbook, and PlayStation Home content.

But enough gabbin’ from us. Check out the unboxing for a closer look at the set, especially the lovely art book.

[How To is a recurring feature in which we demonstrate techniques designed to improve your game, and make your skill set more than a little bit awesome. This time out, we'll show you how to execute Kenshiro's 100 Crack Fist in Hokuto no Ken.]

Hokuto no Ken for the PlayStation 2 did the unthinkable for many long time fans of the anime: it took the hard-hitting fighting that defined the show and merged it with a deep fighting engine that actually satisfies. All previous attempts at a Hokuto no Ken game (from the Genesis’ The Last Battle to the Gameboy’s Fist of the North Star: 10 Big Brawls for the King of Universe) all hailed from the land of suck, so the SEGA-published PlayStation 2 title was quite welcomed.

One of the questions that I receive on a somewhat regular basis inquires how one goes about unleashing  Kenshiro’s 100 Crack Fist finisher. Certainly, it was the most memorable move in the series, and one that you want to smack your boys with when they begin to spout off a little too much. Just like the anime, you can’t simply whip it out at anytime – - that would end matches in seconds. You need to set up the scenario. Here’s how to execute Kenshiro’s 100 Crack Fist in Hokuto no Ken.

1. Your Opponent Must Be Weakened
Positioned below each character’s lifebar is a gauge with seven stars in the shape of the Big Dipper, which drains as they perform special moves, supers, a handful of command normals (like slam and stun attacks), and take star-depleting attacks. Once drained, your opponent is in a severely weakened state and a “Death Star” will light up.

2. Unleash Your One-Hit Kill, The 100 Crack Fist
QCF + HP and HK.

That’s it! The best aspect of the move is that it’s very, very combo-friendly due to the D, DF, F motion. Knuckle up!

The King of Fighters ’96 was released in 1996 and, sad to say, its feels like a 15 year old game. Re-released on the Playstation Network through the NeoGeo Station, The King of Fighters ’96 has shown just about no improvements from its original form. This slightly tweaked port only includes the ability to play with other 2D fighting game fans online.

Visually, the game is beginning to show its age. It is a real surprise that, with all of the latest retro remakes and whatnot flooding the gaming markets (such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online), SNK didn’t enhance the look with a filter of some sort. On the other hand, the vintage look may please gamers who long for that arcade-era nostalgia. A handful of backgrounds, however, still stand as some that SNK has ever done.

The J-rock instrumental soundtrack is initially appealing, but after a few matches you’ll find yourself getting highly annoyed and might just mute the game for some peace; they wear on you after all while. Of course the games mechanics haven’t changed at all. If you have played previous The King of Fighters games or have just picked up The King of Fighters XIII then you should find yourself right at home. For those that haven’t played a KOF game before, it will definitely take some getting used to with some of the button inputs which are at times more complex than Street Fighter‘s.

The online component is a nice touch, but to say that the netcode needs to be tweaked is a huge understatement. Ranked, unranked and player matches are all available to you when you start up the game, but sadly, they are all damn near unplayable with nearly constant spikes of lag. Offline however, not surprisingly, works wonderfully.

The King of Fighters ’96 is stuck in the past with its old look and laggy online capabilities. SNK has always taken care of its fans and of its franchises but thankfully this is a re-release instead of the latest installment. If you aren’t a diehard KOF fan then this may be one to stay away from.

The most exhilarating moment of my Thanksgiving break didn’t involve passing drumsticks, reminiscing on good times, or reconnecting with a long, lost family members. No, it came when I, using Ralf, rolled through Mai’s projectile, rushed her with the Bareback Vulcan Punch, and proceeded to smash her into match-winning oblivion. That truly gave a warm fuzzy as my favorite fighting game franchise had returned to high standing, despite some questionable elements.

SNK Playmore’s The King of Fighters XIII ($49.96, Amazon) is an apology letter to every fight fan that felt that sinking feeling shortly after booting up The King of Fighters XII. The Atlus-published 2D fighter remedies nearly every problem that plagued its predecessor; the roster now packs 33 combatants (two of which, Bily Kane and Saiki, are unlockable), more stages, more music tracks, and best of all, vastly improved netcode that lets you mix  it up online with a bare minimum of hiccups. Simply stated, King of Fighters XIII returns the long-running series to the heights of quality that is its legacy.

King of Fighters XIII‘s graphics set the standard for 2D fighting games. Guilty Gear‘s are beautiful, but overly polished, Street Fighter IV‘s polygons lack soul, and Mortal Kombat fighters can look downright awkward at times. KOF XIII, on the other hand, drips in pixel love. The game may not match Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online‘s insane-to-the-point-of-distraction animation, but what’s there is absolutely stunning. Kyo’s jacket flows as he dashes and fights; Athena pulses with energy. I’m still not a fan of some of the CGI specials–a few still look out of place against the sprites–but that’s a relatively minor complaint.

The international backgrounds are equally impressive; onlookers not only cheer on the three-on-three violence, they do so with body-rattling vigor that helps set the rowdy vibe. Despite the spectacle, my favorite background is one set in South Town where Mr. Big holds a shady meeting in a back alley–the perfect backdrop for a street fight.

It should be noted that KOF XIII is a decidedly non-PC game: to a fault. In fact, some elements are not just insensitive, but downright brutish. Between King getting her clothes shredded by supers and semi-human animals in Brazil’s stage to gender/sexuality slights, there are numerous cringe-worthy moments. It’s more than a little disturbing that this imagery exists in a game made in 2012.

The in-game soundtrack is a throwback to fighting game music of yesteryear–for both the better and worse. There are a few rocking tracks, but there are also several near-jazz pieces that almost feel out of place. Still, they’re melodic and somewhat memorable, which is more than I can say for several modern games with atmospheric soundscapes.

Casual fighting game fans will enjoy performing basics and supers, but the KOF XIII combat system allows the dedicated to inflict ungodly combos and big damage using cancels. It’s all about Drive Cancels, Guard Cancels, Hyperdrive Cancels, Super Cancels, and Neo Cancels. As the names suggests, you can cancel out of a move and into another to rack up big hits. These cancels (except for Guard Cancels) are governed by each fighter’s Hyperdrive Gauge, which fills as you land, block, and take hits. Depending on the cancel needed you’ll consume between 50% to 100% of the Hyperdrive Gauge, so cancel with prejudice. The Power Gauge fills in the same manner except that you use that use it to unleash those aforementioned Guard Cancels as well as EX Specials, Desperation Moves, EX Desperation Moves, and insanely powerful NEO MAX that will mess opponent up good. These require anywhere between one and three power stocks depending on the attack.

So what do all these gauges mean? You should carefully select your character order. If you have a character with a devastating NEO MAX, you’d probably want to place it second or third in the lineup where it has a better chance of leaping into battle with three power stocks. I’ll leave it to better men than myself (namely News Editors Avion Foster-Jarvis and Eric Guzman) to dissect the game’s balance, but from a cursory look, there doesn’t appear to be a fighter than has the innate ability to run roughshod over the rest of the roster. That said the infamous “SNK Boss Syndrome” is back in full force.

 KOF XIII includes a heap of gameplay modes, but the most eye-catching is Story Mode, which is, essentially, a visual novel. Between rounds you’e treated to beautifully drawn (but barely animated) cutscenes, and you can select various scenarios that move the story forward. There’s no voiceovers–it’s all text–but what there is relatively engaging. Frankly, I could do without another Orochi saga, but this is thankfully the end of that tale (I hope).

As mentioned earlier, the online vs. mode is greatly improved over KOF XII‘s. I played various competitors for several hours with only one or two instances of lag, and no disconnects. This will, hopefully, keep the game alive in competitive circles despite the lack of spectator mode.

In a year that was heralded as the return of the 2D fighter thanks to the smash success of Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom, and Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, KOF XIII is the perfect way to cap 2011. If you fancy yourself a fighting game fan, The King of Fighters XIII should be considered a must-have purchase as its one of the best games (and 2D games) of the year.

Fight fans, are you playing King of Fighters XIII this Thanksgiving weekend? If not, you should. It’s an excellent 2D fighting game that thrusts SNK’s premiere franchise into contemporary gaming in a way that King of Fighters XII most certainly did not.

I’m working on the King of Fighters XIII review now (note: the game is pretty damned good!), but until I deliver that, taste this: An unwrapping of The King of Soundtracks. If you don’t recall, it’s the four-disc “thank you” from Atlus to costumers who pre-ordered King of Fighters XIII. And there are a whopping 100 tracks!

Join me as I give you a walk-through of this nice bundled bonus.

And yes, I know I flubbed K”s name. Calm down, fanboys.