News:: Arika shows off new fighter featuring Street Fighter EX characters

The Street Fighter EX branch of the franchise featured some truly memorable characters; Cracker Jack, Skullomania, and Blair Dame to name just a few. With the exception of a few cameos here and there, all of these EX originals have remained landlocked to the series for years now. Fans have guessed this because the rights to the Street Fighter EX brand and its unique roster may be split between publisher Capcom and developer Arika. 

From the looks of it, Capcin and Arika may have finally sorted those issues out, as at least three EX specific fighters appear to be breaking out into a new title. That, or Arika just put out one of the least funny, most expensive April Fool's Day jokes in the history of the game industry. The Youtube description of the video above says its "...from April Fools 2017 of ARIKA Co.,Ltd", though according to this tweet from Arika's Ichiro Mihara, the game itself is not the joke. Instead, he says the game itself is real, but the fact that they hid its development for this long, only to announcing it now, is the "joke". 

I don't understand Japanese or April Fool's Day Fake Game News Comedy very well, so if I'm missing something here, let me know. 

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News:: Sega is teasing something with 8-Bit Bayonetta on Steam

Years ago, Platinum Games toyed with an 8-bit rendition of Bayonetta. It was a cute little gag. But now that simple game has found its way onto Steam as a free-to-play title from Sega, and it's teasing... something. Something potentially terrific or disastrous, knowing full well tomorrow is April 1.

The game's Steam achievements are puzzle pieces that form a larger picture of Bayonetta, and some of them contain snippets of a URL. This URL, to be exact -- it's a Sega.com "Coming Soon" page with a not-yet-functional countdown and the image shown at the top of this post. How interesting!

NeoGAF user GrantDaNasty dug through the site's code and found the string "lastDate: '04/11/2017 08:00:00'," suggesting that whatever Sega is leading up to will be unveiled on April 11 at 8:00am Pacific.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up now that April Fools' Day shenanigans are in effect, but good lord please let this be what it looks like: a PC port of the original Bayonetta.

8-Bit Bayonetta [Steam]

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News:: Blizzard's first eSports stadium opens for 'Overwatch'

Blizzard had a formative role shaping the strategy and MOBA titles that dominate eSports today. But the studio didn't really dive into competitive events until it started devoting floorspace to its own tournaments at BlizzCon 2009. Now the gaming titan is moving up from its annual weekend convention to open its first permanent competitive gaming space, a plush eSports arena fronted by a snack bar and memorabilia shop. And it'll be in Taipei.

Via: eSports Insider

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News:: Final Fantasy XIV: Daddy of Light headed to Netflix worldwide

Netflix has picked up the game-inspired Japanese drama Final Fantasy XIV: Daddy of Light, and somewhat surprisingly, it will see an international release. The hybrid live-action show tracks a father and son who bond through the titular MMORPG. Cheesy? Maybe. But the story has real-world roots.

Daddy of Light will air next month in Japan (starting April 16 on MBS, and April 20 on Netflix), while the overseas release on Netflix is scheduled for this fall, according to Polygon.

As of late, my go-to shows on Netflix have tended to be foreign-language series (mostly just rewatching Terrace House endlessly and catching the occasional ridiculous Korean drama). I'm no FFXIV player, but based on the premise, I am down for Daddy. Keep this stuff comin'!

Final Fantasy 14: Daddy of Light is heading to Netflix [Polygon]

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News:: Oh, that's right, Microsoft is re-releasing Phantom Dust

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft was done with the Phantom Dust property. While it's true (and still disappointing) that we're no longer getting a full reboot of the Xbox action-strategy title, an enhanced version is in the works for Xbox One and Windows 10. It should be out this year.

Given the relative silence about the project as of late, I had forgotten this was even on the way. Leave it to none other than a random "Having fun today" tweet from Xbox head Phil Spencer to remind me.

Having fun today. http://pic.twitter.com/GCnP9Qw0Fk

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) March 31, 2017

I, too, love to have fun on Fridays.

More than anything else, I'm looking forward to this release as a way to give Phantom Dust a second chance now that it's had more than a decade to build up an audience of fans willing to vouch for it.

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News:: Complete Batman: Arkham Origins bundle only five bucks for PC

For the price of a foot-long sub you can now pick up the Batman: Arkham Origins Complete Pack at Bundle Stars. It's a today-only offer that is selling at a good clip with over 50% sold in the few hours it's been available since this morning.

• Batman Arkham Origins Complete Pack (Steam) — $4.99  (list price $48)
• Today only deal, includes all DLC

This is a new low for the complete pack by about three bucks, besting its historic low price of $8 last seen a year ago (that's like 37% cheaper!). Normally, Batman: Arkham Origins is a $20 list price item on Steam, and with the included DLC it would add up about $48.

Included in the Origins Complete Pack is:

• Batman: Arkham Origins base game
• Season Pass DLC
• Black Mask Challenge Pack DLC
• Online Supply Drop 1 DLC
• Online Supply Drop 2 DLC

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News:: Mad Catz files for bankruptcy and is ceasing operations

There's more than one way to skin a cat; this one met its end after a run of poor investments, declining revenues, and ever-growing piles of debt. Mad Catz, a video game peripheral manufacturer, is dead after 28 years of operation.

Yesterday, Mad Catz voluntarily filed petitions for bankruptcy in both the United States and Canada. A trustee has been assigned to the Mad Catz estate in order to liquidate remaining assets in an effort to pay off outstanding debts. All of the company's directors and officers have resigned from their positions.

This is the end that most eventually saw coming, as the writing has been on the wall for more than a year now. In February 2016, Mad Catz announced that it was laying off one-third of its staff. In June 2016, it came to light that Mad Catz took an $11.6 million dollar loss on the fiscal year. It's widely accepted that the decision to co-publish Harmonix's Rock Band 4 was the main factor that caused Mad Catz's downfall.

Before news of the bankruptcy, Mad Catz was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange last week because the value of its shares were so low. It was going for as little as $.04 per share.

This is the end of the road. There are seemingly no more alternatives. A source tells Kotaku that all employees have been locked out of their email accounts and have been sent home. After the liquidation sale, Mad Catz will completely cease to be. The run lasted almost three decades, but Mad Catz's time is up. One of the most prominent peripheral creators in the video game industry is gone.

Mad Catz Makes Voluntary Assignment in Bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) [GlobeNewswire]

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News:: 'Skylanders' learns what Amiibo knew all along: drop the portal

The paradigm for toys-to-life games is well established: one part kid-friendly video game, one part expensive, collectible figurines -- and a tethered NFC "portal" that ties them both together. When Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure introduced this model in 2011, it sparked an entire new genre in gaming -- bringing about the rise and fall of Disney Infinity, the nostalgic brand licensing of LEGO Dimensions and even inspired Nintendo to launch its own line of NFC gaming collectible. In fact, with the exception of Nintendo, all of these brands followed Skylanders' tethered-portal model. On the Nintendo Switch, however, the game that started it all is taking the Amiibo approach.

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News:: Witcher series hits new milestone with 25 million sold

We knew The Witcher series is a bonafide hit (especially Wild Hunt), but thanks to a new financial report from developer CD Projekt Red we know just how big the franchise as a whole really is.

As of this week they've noted that it's sold 25 million copies across all three games, a number that doesn't even include the upcoming Gwent spinoff or their board game project. Sales for Witcher 3 made them one billion Polish Zloty (roughly $250 million USD), so they have quite a bit in the bank.

It's still amazing to me that they made this big of a turnaround, going from a bullish indie studio to a beloved AAA force to be reckoned with. While the company is now hailed as a paragon of how you should treat customers (they've said in recent years that they don't care about piracy, and that if you make a good game people will buy it), years ago it literally tracked down pirates and sent them letters requesting compensation -- taking an extreme anti-piracy stance that very few publishers did at the time.

It was a learning experience that they even said was a mistake, but like many other stubborn AAA studios they could have just told their audience to fuck off. They didn't, and it paid off.

Financial Results [CD Projekt Red]

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News:: Review: Mario Sports Superstars

CJ takes a long drag on his cigarette, slowly letting the smoke fill his already weakened lungs. He glances down at his whiskey sour, nearly empty. Exhaling with a small cough, he stirs the one remaining ice cube with his middle finger before touching it to his lips to get a taste of the watered-down Maker’s Mark. Still cold. He puts his cigarette out and finishes the drink in a single swig.

Setting the glass aside, he turns back to his computer screen and stares at the words “Review: Mario Sports Superstars,” the only words he has been able to type in nearly 40 minutes. He reaches to the end of his desk for his copy of the game. For the third time in the last hour, he reads the sales pitch on the back of the packaging, wondering if there was something, anything he had missed over the 20 hours he had spent with the game.

But he knows there is neither stone left unturned, no secret mode nor password that could make the game worth actually recommending. So he sets the case back down and pops his neck to the right. As he brings his fingers to the illuminated keyboard of his four-year-old MacBook, he mutters, “Let’s get this over with.”

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News:: Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona is suing Konami

Konami's next legal battle is coming from an unlikely source. Argentine soccer great (and brief national team coach) Diego Maradona will file suit against Konami for the unauthorized use of his likeness in Pro Evolution Soccer 2017.

Maradona stated his intentions on his Facebook page yesterday. He posted a picture of PES 2017's myClub feature in which he's included as one of several current and former footballers with which players can draft to assemble fantasy teams. Being the highest-rated star of all-time apparently isn't any sort of consolation to him.

Alongside the picture, Maradona writes that his attorney Matias Morla will initiate legal proceedings. Maradona also mentions that he "hope(s) this isn't another scam."

"Scam" is a strong word, especially when it's entirely possible that Konami's use of Maradona's likeness actually was authorized. Konami partnered with Barcelona FC (along with many other clubs) to include current and past players into PES 2017. Barcelona is the club Maradona's most strongly tied to as a former player. It's possible that Barcelona still owns the rights to Maradona's likeness from his playing days.

Konami hasn't yet commented on this matter, so it's impossible to gauge the legitimacy of this impending litigation. Maradona seems fired up, though; when Maradona's fired up, everyone's going to know about it.

Diego Maradona [Facebook]

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News:: Ms. Pac-Man has taken over Google Maps

Ahead of April Fools' Day, Google has turned Google Maps into a playable game of Ms. Pac-Man.

Just click the little icon (it's unmissable on the mobile app and found on the bottom left on desktop), then off you go. Streets become pellet-filled lanes and Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue will give chase until you either run out of lives or decide you've had enough of this little time-waster. Sound at all familiar?

The company did something similar with Pac-Man just a couple years ago. While it's far from the freshest goof on the block, I still enjoyed it more than the typical "kooky" what-if scenarios.

Google Maps [Google]

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News:: Is Grant Kirkhope making another DK Rap?

One of the more infamous pieces of music from Nintendo's library of tunes is the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64. That mad display of aural madness was crafted by Grant Kirkhope, who is basically the songwriter of our childhoods. Since he is composing the music for Playtronic's Rareware homage Yooka-Laylee, it would obviously make sense that Playtronic wants him to recreate the DK Rap.

Wait, what?

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News:: Yoshi in Sonic 2? Sure, I'd play that mod

All the way back in 2010 a user named Xenowhirl created a fantastic mod that put Yoshi into Sonic 2 -- seemingly a match made in heaven. It was only recently released online, but you can experience it with the link below.

I'm amazed that people are still making great ROM hacks, like the Darkwing Duck DuckTales 2 co-op mod, and Mega Man I-V with Roll. For this one in particular I dig the cute little touch of having Sonic and Tails ride Yoshi. It's to the point where it feels like he'd work in any game, and given his hover ability he can probably reach most of the heights required of him.

This person goes above and beyond and puts Yoshi mechanics like flowers inside of Sonic 2 though, which is great!

Yoshi [Dropbox via Twitter]

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News:: PC Port Report: Senran Kagura Estival Versus

Individuals on Destructoid have expressed surprise that I have never played a Senran Kagura title before. I'm not sure what that says about me – or the people on Dtoid.

Time for that to change. Now that Senran Kagura Estival Versus has flounced its way onto the PC, and with a copy thrust into my palms for a port report, there's no avoiding the groping, the stripping, and presumably whatever actual game they threw in there to justify all of the former. (CJ Andriessen thought it was pretty lewd fun.)

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News:: 'Final Fantasy XIV' live action drama heads to Netflix

Japan's unique Final Fantasy XIV-based drama is making its way to the rest of the world thanks to Netflix. Daddy of Light isn't really an adaptation of the hit MMO -- it's a live-action show that focuses on a father and son who play the game together. The series will start airing on Netflix in Japan starting on April 20th, Polygon reports, and it'll head to other countries in the fall.

Via: Polygon

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News:: 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild' patch improves docked Switch performance

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a near-perfect game, but its performance on the Nintendo Switch is far less so. While it plays smoothly in handheld mode, it's not unusual to see lower frame rates when you dock the console. Mostly, that's because the Switch is pumping out a higher resolution when it's connected to your TV, which puts a strain on the console's mobile hardware. But with its latest patch for Breath of the Wild, Nintendo has apparently solved that slowdown dilemma, Polygon reports.

Via: Polygon

Source: Nintendo

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News:: Total War: Warhammer II gets a surprise announcement

When I saw an announcement for Total War: Warhammer II, I thought some websites were doing April Fool's a bit early. I could swear the first title came out just last year and I was right! I suppose instead of letting the hype die down from the first game, Creative Assembly thought it was better to just go all in on a sequel.

The game was announced at EGX Rezzed along with a cinematic trailer. Since I don't really know much about Warhammer (preferring the 40K variant), I'll have to let the official FAQ explain what this sequel includes.

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News:: Surprise, Yoko Taro's new game has amazing art

Yoko Taro has a lot to be excited about. His last project, NieR: Automata, has been pretty much universally beloved. Whether that translates to sales in this very busy season (crazy isn't it) is another thing, but Taro strikes me as the type of person who is more glad his work has resonated than anything.

But back to work he goes, this time on yet another uppercase/lowercase monikered game called SINoALICE. It's only for mobile devices at the moment, but you can tell it has his signature mark, especially with the sword weaponry that resembles that of NieR. The teaser trailer's music is also hauntingly beautiful -- I love pretty much everything about this game already!

Although it was announced back in February, the teaser site has opened up a number of new facets if you're interested.

Sino Alice [Square Enix]

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News:: That Seiken Densetsu/Mana collection is being helmed by M2

I think all of us collectively kind of gasped at the prospect of a Seiken Densetsu on Switch. The idea that Seiken Densetsu 3, one of the most beloved action RPGs ever, would finally be coming west for a brand new Nintendo system with co-op was almost too much. But there's no word on a localization yet from Square, and considering that they'd have to translate it for the first time (use the fan ROM as a guide!), it might take them a while.

While we wait for details on that front, we do know by way of company president Noaki Horii, that it is being handled by M2. It already has a release date of June 1, 2017, and given the good work M2 has done with so many other retro ports (most notably the 3D Classics for Sega), it seems to be in good hands.

Hor11 [Twitter]

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News:: Hyper Light Drifter has a sweet little physical edition

Right in time for Hyper Light Drifter's hard-to-believe one-year anniversary, iam8bit has put together a limited-edition physical PlayStation 4 version of the imaginative action-adventure game.

Shipping next week, this package comes with a fold-out map, a 28-page "retro-style" instruction booklet, and reversible cover art. I'm not even sure which side I prefer -- they both look nice as heck.

It's not the most jam-packed set, sure, but that keeps the price tag at a reasonable $30. This run is limited to 9,000 copies, so if you like what you see here and have the funds, I wouldn't hesitate.

Store [iam8bit]

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News:: Dom's car from the new Fast and the Furious is coming to Rocket League next week

Both The Fast and the Furious and Rocket League are, at their cores, about cars doing ridiculous things. Ahead of Fast 8's April 14 release, the properties are pairing up for a cross-promotional move that makes perfect sense.

On April 4, Dom's Dodge Ice Charger will be added to Rocket League as premium DLC. It comes with a set of exclusive wheels and six decals (as can be seen in the gallery below). Funny enough, Dom's car is similar-looking to one of Rocket League's mainstay vehicles, the Dominus.

This isn't the first time Psyonix has looked to movies for inspiration. In October 2015, Back to the Future's DeLorean was added as a battle-car; Batman v Superman's Batmobile debuted in February of last year. A key difference that players will be happy to hear is that Psyonix tells us Dom's Charger is able to be customized.

How much to tear around in the Fast 8 car, picking up boost pads and pretending it's NOS? Living life a quarter-mile at a time in Rocket League will run you eight quarters, as Dom's Charger will cost $2.

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News:: Review: MLB The Show 17

For as long as I can remember, since before my time at Destructoid, I've been jettisoning off sports reviews. They're not only niche from a personnel perspective, but they also require a certain degree of dedication and knowledge, despite the notion that they're "all the same" (which is sometimes true!).

But as someone who grew up watching and going to just about every major sporting event, reviewing sports games is always in the back of my mind, in the sunken place that lies below everything else I write about, but that's changed.

Last year I covered Madden (here) and NHL (elsewhere) for the first time in years. Now it's my turn at bat with MLB The Show 17.

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News:: Does not compute: Konami is doing free DLC for Super Bomberman R

During a Konami sponsored episode of The Game Theorists last night, free DLC for Super Bomberman R on the Switch was teased.

Konami. Free DLC. I know, I'm still parsing this too. It might be a trick, but supposedly it's happening. Although specifics weren't given it seems as if levels and characters will be involved, which is the perfect way to keep people interested beyond the in-game currency levels and bombers already in. More info will come "in the next few days." Ice and water worlds were shown.

If the pricey Bomberman R goes down in price and gets a sizable amount of add-ons, that would be pretty amazing for everyone on the fence. It's nowhere near the best Bomberman game around, but it is fun and is eight players to boot.

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News:: The Morning After: Friday, March 31st 2017

It's Friday, so live a little. Maybe order a pizza by robot? How about the latest phone available directly from Microsoft, the, er, Galaxy S8? Meanwhile, Destiny 2 is coming to PCs, and Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey parted ways with Facebook. No April Fools here -- it landing on a weekend means that's someone else's problem.

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News:: The Overwatch World Cup is back for 2017

The Overwatch World Cup is back for its second go-round, this time inviting players from more countries, featuring more games and promising even more live events. The world of eSports has continued to expand since the inaugural event last fall, and that's why things are kicking off now to get ready for a showdown at BlizzCon 2017. Right now, skilled players (the top 100 in each country) need to make sure they represent well enough on average that their country is in the top 32 by the time phase two starts in 25 days.

Source: Play Overwatch Blog, Overwatch World Cup

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News:: Titanfall 2's multiplayer is free for the weekend

You'll be able to put your parkour-shooter skills to the test in Titanfall 2 with another free weekend event. Respawn is running a trial (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) now through Monday, April 3.

Besides packing in the full multiplayer experience, the trial also includes the Training Gauntlet and one of the campaign missions, The Beacon (the latter of which will "remain free to play in perpetuity"). It's enough of a taster to figure out if Titanfall 2 is for you or not, assuming you have the time.

As nice as it always is to see these free events pop up, the timing on this one is extra thoughtful -- the game just got its Colony Reborn update today with a new map, weapon, and execution.

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