The CG of Monty Oum

[Rayne]

Not exactly a clone like the earlier one's, rather something developed using Kasumi's DNA. Kasumi's the fastest character in the game and being based on her Alpha's more than twice as fast (12x hit combo max) with simmilar but not exact moves. She very seldom blocks but often teleports out of juggles and a single launch or throw can cut down 2/3 of your HP instantly. You don't quite fight her like you would anyone else in the game as when she teleports you whiff. Spam block and you're asking for a throw. Analyze this thing though and beating her come's stupidly easy - Break her juggle's with mid/high holds as the first attacks always shart with this chain - spam [P] all the time - running kick attacks all the time - stay down when down - don't ever pressure her when she's against a wall.

You fight her in most story modes and she's the end-boss in Time-Attack in which you have to beat her twice.

Problem however, and I'm not sure whether or not you know this (probably) is that the game scales the difficulty up or down depending on the player. It was play-tested by Japanese pro-tournament players. Had 7 great rounds upto now? Have fun with Alpha... Took you 20 minutes to make it this far? It may be your lucky day... There's no easy mode and unlike Ninja Gaiden you won't be unlocking one either. Normal and Hard's pretty much the same due to AI scaling. Hence why people tend to put it away fast, it has a steep learning curve. Playing online or VS rock's like in any other fighter but buy it for single-player and the joke's on you. In general you'll pull a move once and then mix it up else expect to get your bottom handed to you. Show me how many people have 80-100 Survival wins (boosters = scrubs).

There's a reason it's a tournament game though, it's extremely well balanced (SC 4 = hold throw win game). Yeah holds are important but (frame disadvantage) DOA 4's still a counter-game inside-out. Still one of the fastest fighters (Tekken = yawn) which might explain the sore thumbs. It's Platinum so I'll recommend it to you but in same sense it's 4 year's old, not many chaps still playing this online so you will be forced into single-play.

Back to Alpha - Current status unknown. If you've not seen the true ending (Helena's) you can probably cacth it on YouTube (The Atonement). Latest news from Team Ninja is that they will be expanding the Ninja Gaiden IP but there's no word on any more DOA. Like I said earlier the IP may well have died with Itagaki.

[ZeroS]

Admittedly, I'm not much of a beat em up fan, but, they make excellent party games. Whether it's a clunky Naruto game or a demanding DOA type game, they're all fun to play when in numbers. In fact, for SFIV I've played single player only to obtain the hidden characters, thereafter it's been versus fun throughout. Still haven't beat the game on normal.

It is a shame though that DOA may have abandoned ship along with Itagaki. My concerns is that future games from Team Ninja should maintain the punishing level that Itagaki is so renowned for. I'd even dare say that Itagaki was Team Ninja.

[Rayne]

Sadly so. I'll be keeping an eye on NG Sigma 2 for the PS3. If it's going to be stupidly easy then well that will be a clear indication as to where the studio's headed (they already confirmed they dropped the blood btw). On the other hand, should it still require you to play with eyes open and, depending on reviews, I may well end up getting a PS3 for the sole continuation of the series (I have a sweetspot for DOA ever since Hardcore and Ayane especially, even bought the nonsense that is DOAX2). So time will tell. No idea whether or not the drunken Samurai shall ever return to the gaming world.

And as for figting games yeah of course, it's pretty much the only PnP genre anyone and everyone can play however they want. Use it to keep the kids busy while grown-up's braai on a Sunday afternoon, button-mash a bit after work or take 2 months mastering your toon of choice yourself if you have the patience and willpower for it (mastering a PC MMORPG's easier than it is a console fighter).

Anyways back on topic, 2 more days to go until we see what the oke came up with.

[ZeroS]

they already confirmed they dropped the blood btw

Shock of the day! I was considering getting this, but this startling piece of information has enfeebled that thought. Why do away with the blood. NGII was amazing and despite me not being a rooting fan of gore, the gushing blood made the game all the more gratifying.

[Rayne]

To sell more games in the States perhaps. The dismemberment's still there, you'll just not see any blood with it.

Just like DOA4's been rated M for Mature whilst it's not mature. The problem being under US law Kasumi (17) and Ayane (16) were under age, hence the "?" noted in their character stats for international releases.

YouTube "Kokoro Aquamarine" though and you'll know why X2 got it's M.

[ZeroS]

I see what you mean.

It's mind numbing the way the USA is so insistent on always being one sandwich short of a picnic. From anime to gaming, english speaking folks always get a tarnished version of the goods.
Sure, it's understandable, but, is it justifiable?

[Rayne]

Well, a perfect study case, ironically -

[youtube]<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOY1_AvQlRU&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOY1_AvQlRU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Dead Fantasy 3's Tifa vs Hitomi + Hayate + every **** Ninja on earth. Disadvantage much?

So he swapped 3 with 5?

I don't know what's going on. Will have to wait for it to go up on GT. Not sure if it's soon or July only.

Anyways, well, yeah... looks like Tifa...

Many fanboi rants to be had.

EDIT : Ok some clarity - This was a work-in-progress showcase. Everything's to be released in July.

Say a chap who was there.

[ZeroS]

This is at another level. Getting anxious for the final product. But, Tifa? Not that it's from the bag of complaints given the quality of his work, but, I presume he may be attempting to leverage the fanboys out there.

That crowd is so boisterous they almost seem vulgar.

[Rayne]

Well to be honest I didn't expect him to ever go to such extreme's. That's a lot of brutal abuse for a pretty little girl. #1 and #2 had no blood whatsoever and now we see limbs flying all over the place.

Also very keen to see what's to come. Cloud's in #4 aiding Yuna (which pretty much confirms she'll be getting her bottom kicked as well, though that was expected) and Hayate coming to Hitomi's aid makes little sense as far as original character profiles go. Cloud's expected to aid Tifa and Hayate Ayane or Kasumi.

Might be clearing the stage for the guys and what better way to do it than pull the age-old trick *drumroll* kill the girl. Works every time. Cloud vs Kasumi might be playing out simmilar.

Anyways let me not assume too much for now. July will be here soon enough.

EDIT : Btw here's the official preview for #4. Differs slightly from the one on the previous page.

[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HIaWalXQl4o&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HIaWalXQl4o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[ZeroS]

Yes, loads of blood found here, so much so that it could pass as being gory. Not much of a gore fan, but, he's going to lure in the Tifa boys by the boat loads.

[Rayne]

I thought he was a Tifa fanboi. She owned everything for a good 10 minutes in all of #2.

Guess not. Good. See some Kasumi abuse coming too.

[Rayne]

Better quality (read : bleeding aplenty handy-cam) of same #5 screenings at FanimeCon -

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Tifa goes down, crowd goes "oh **** no!" lol.

And the lead-up thereto which apparently is #3 -

[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7arFh_14yg8&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7arFh_14yg8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Individual vids thus does not mean individual fights. He'll be patching things up and then he'll upload it over a few days. Pity it's not #2's length, though he today confirmed this is still "the tip of the iceberg" so nothing to do but wait and see what the future holds.

[ZeroS]

It certainly is much of a gore fest, though, it's just as unconventional. It's something different and outlandish, and not merely on the grounds that it's characters from different worlds combating each other.

Too sparse information as of yet to determine just exactly what's he's intending to roll out.

The action is very fluid and at a pace that's easy to follow. That's something I really covet in action scenes. Who's throwing what limb of his body, the manner in which it's done, and, where is it impacting the opponent.

[Rayne]

Tomonobu Itagaki and Crew Return With a New Team and Xbox 360 Game

When I recently found myself with a little free time wandering the streets of Tokyo, I gave some ex-Team NINJA members a call to see what they were up to. After all, what Tomonobu Itagaki and his loyal band of producers, designers, programmers, and artists most recent projct has been a mystery since the last time I interviewed him, back in July of last year. Some obvious questions were on my mind, like, "Is Itagaki working on a new game?" "Is it for Xbox 360 or has he moved on to other platforms?" "Does he have a new team, and, if so, what is it called?"

Within a couple of hours I secure both Itagaki and former Team NINJA art director, Hiroaki Matsui (together they were the creative force behind the Dead or Alive franchise and the current Ninja Gaiden revival). Matsui, who knows some English, has a fine appreciation for classic British and American heavy metal music, and (after he's had a few shots and starts singing classic rock songs at karaoke) reminds me of a Japanese Ronnie James Dio. He asks me to meet him and Itagaki at a bar near Waseda University (Itagaki's alma mater). Upon entering the dimly lit bar, I immediately spot Matsui, but also notice that Katsunori Ehara and Yoshifuru Okamoto were drinking there too. Ehara is Itagaki's right-hand man in charge of game design, and Okamoto (the producer on Ninja Gaiden 2) is second-in-command under Itagaki. Itagaki, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found. Yet. I figure he'd eventually roll in, like he usually does.

Interview here.

[ZeroS]

So, not a beat em up, but, something new. Nice. This guy looks like he is loyal to delivering quality titles and seems to always give his best. I know I was hooked when he said that he put enemies in NG to kill the player and not to stand around as mindless fodder. Hopes up for something out of this world.

[Rayne]

Yeah. Though his lessons in anger management (love it or hate it) is all that much more rewarding when the end credits finally roll one has to, like you mentioned, wonder where Team Ninja's headed with these IP's.

We knew they kept it since the split but almost 4 years later and we're yet to see what they did with it. They do however, still have two games since, confirmed, under wraps. So, there's nothing final about DOA 4 being the last in the franchise.

Itagaki said he made the ultimate fighter since DOA 4 development so that's old news, kinda knew his not gonna make another one ever again.

Shall see.

[Rayne]

His blog's updated.

Spoiler: (show)

"TIFA IS NOT DEAD"

...DF 6,7,8...

3 weeks to go.

[ZeroS]

New post today as well.

[Rayne]

#3's online right now - http://www.gametrailers.com/video/dead- ... -oum/52613

#4 next week and #5 the week after.

[ZeroS]

Downloading 3 now.

[ZeroS]

Compared to V above, III wasn't much of a stunner. Quite nicely done, but, it fit's the bill better as a prelude of better things to come.

[Rayne]

#5 is up now.

His throwing some backbone into the mix hence why he said not to expect the likes of #2 else you'll surely be disappointed. That's why he swapped it with the Ayane vs Riku fight, because he has good things planned for it and did not have enough time to get it done.

#5 is good and taken it's ending I can see where this is going, it's fits in nicely with the DOA plot.

I suppose it's another years wait to see what comes next again now though.