Review: Razer Panthera Evo arcade stick (PlayStation 4, PC)

You can only work off the same design so many times before it feels like a retread. Starting with the premiere of the Xbox 360 Atrox model arcade stick in 2013, Razer has been utilizing that body type for years even through the following console generation. While there have been variations in the models, the core look always maintained. Five years following, Razer finally went back to the drawing board for a new design.

RAZER PANTHERA EVO REVIEW SCREENSHOTS

I came to Razer's newest stick expecting it to be a full-on successor to the Panthera, similar to what Mad Catz had done for the Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition series. In the end, I realized that it's not trying to one-up its brethren.

Despite the name, the Panthera Evo looks like it's more trying to pave its own path than carry on the lineage maintained by the normal Panthera. It tries to differentiate itself with features that try to improve on aspects found on existing sticks as well as experiment with new ideas. Priced at $199.99, like the original Panthera, did Razer hit the mark with this new model to convince players that it's just as worthy of a purchase as its fellow stick?

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Sanwa Denshi apparently discontinuing Silent JLF levers, increasing prices on various parts

[Update December 24, 11:24 p.m. PST]: After reaching out to Sanwa Denshi on Twitter, the company has told us that it will keep making JLF-TPRG levers while possibly discontinuing one of the variants. Sanwa also confirmed that there will be a price increase for some of the parts carrying pieces from OMRON. The company hasn't made a decision on how much more would parts be from the raise.

The popular Japanese arcade parts company Sanwa Denshi is facing some changes in its catalog.

As revealed by parts supplier Akishop, Sanwa's Silent JLF levers has apparently been discontinued. These were both the low tension JLF-TPRG-8AYT model, from 2014, and the higher tension JLF-TPRG-8BYT, from 2017. With that said, Akishop plans to sell the core parts from these levers so existing JLF users can add them in the near future. It's currently unknown if other arcade parts suppliers will also do the same.

Akishop then revealed from a email by Sanwa that, due to increased prices recently set by OMRON, a manufacturer that supplies some of the core pieces in Sanwa parts, various products will get the same treatment. These include the popular JLF lever as well as the various OBS pushbuttons. OMRON also provides pieces to Seimitsu which can also affect the prices of those various parts. As for full arcade sticks carrying Sanwa parts, their prices might possibly face an increase in overall cost.

If both pieces of information are true, this might be a good time to possibly get the last of the Silent JLF levers or pick up other parts for current prices.

Not much else, such as specific prices for products, has been revealed at the time of this piece. IPLAYWINNER has reached out to Sanwa Denshi for comment on both matters.

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition adds character Kage & balance update following Capcom Cup 2019's conclusion

With this year's Capcom Pro Tour coming to an end, the company has introduced new content to Street Fighter V so players can get ready for next year's CPT season.

Presented by Capcom's Yoshinori Ono, the first part of this delivery is a balance update for the SFV cast. You can check out the changes over at Capcom-Unity.

The follow-up was the addition of a character to the SFV roster. Kage is the manifestation of Ryu's temptation to the Satsui no Hado. Kage has many similarities to Evil Ryu from Street Fighter IV but tuned for SFV. He is packaged with his own story chapter as well as additional outfits.

Players need to download the latest application update and update the in-game version to 04.000. While the balance update is free for all users, Kage is not part of season three so he must be paid with 100,000 fight money or $5.99 USD. It's currently unknown if Kage will be packaged as part of a potential season four character set.

Check Kage's announcement trailer and break down video after the jump!

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Granblue Fantasy fighting game coming 2019 for PS4, developed by Arc System Works

The popular mobile RPG Granblue Fantasy is now getting the fighting game treatment.

Titled Granblue Fantasy Versus, it's one of the two upcoming spinoff games based on the property by Cygames announced at this year's Granblue Fantasy Fes event. Developed by Arc System Works, GF Versus will run on Unreal Engine 4 and will feature the same visual style found in the Guilty Gear Xrd series and Dragon Ball FighterZ.

As of the time of this piece, only five characters are featured including main protagonist Gran. While being developed by Arc System Works, various Cygames employees and other contributors will take part in the making of the game.

For now, you can check out the website for the game here and the announcement trailer after the jump! Granblue Fantasy Versus will be arriving sometime in 2019, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

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Craig Marduk, Armor King and Julia Chang coming to Tekken 7, Negan gameplay revealed

If you are wanting to see who else is coming to Tekken 7's season two, the full list is here!

The third, fourth and fifth DLC characters, announced at Tekken World Tour 2018 finals, are all focused on the legacy side of things. Craig Marduk and Armor King return, with a good amount of their moves remaining from their previous appearance in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, along with some new attacks catering to the screw system. Both will be playable for all season two pass owners and as separate downloads on Dec. 3, 2018. Their character trailers can be found after the jump, with a small tease of Julia Chang on Armor King's video!

Announced back in Evolution 2018, The Walking Dead's Negan also gets his gameplay premiere. Using a very cinematic trailer, harkening to his iconic premiere in the TV show, it shows Negan viciously attacking various characters with his baseball bat companion Lucille. The area used in both the show and the trailer will be the newest stage players can access as well. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan will reprise his role as the Saviors leader. He and Julia both have no date set for their release.

While this was focused on the home platform versions of Tekken 7, it's currently unknown if the coming characters will appear on Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Round 2. Anna Williams and Lei Wulong, the first season two characters, will be included in the arcade update.

You can get Tekken 7 season two pass now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

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NieR Automata's 2B coming to Soulcalibur VI as downloadable content

If you are looking to get the Soulcalibur VI season pass anytime soon, the first of its three additional characters has been unveiled at this year's Paris Games Week.

Battle android YoRHa No. 2 Model B, or 2B for short, from Yoko Taro's popular action RPG NieR: Automata will be coming to SCVI as a downloadable character. 2B will bear her default outfit and weapon set from Automata. She will also receive a stage based on the universe of Automata. For those wanting to build a custom character using 2B's move set, her inclusion will allow players to use the Type-4O weapon set, her "Revealing" outfit and more.

2B is the second guest character for SCVI, with Geralt from The Witcher series being the first.

She will join Tira and two more unannounced characters in SCVI's season pass. There is currently no date for 2B's release as of this time.

You can find the reveal trailer after the jump.

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Review: Paradise Arcade Shop Magenta analog to digital programmable add-on for Sanwa Denshi JLF

The Sanwa Denshi JLF is arguably the most popular arcade stick lever to date. While its stock iteration is the golden standard within the fighting game community, there have been variants mostly designed to cater to those who wanted something a bit quieter. The Silent JLF series of models reduces the sound to almost nonexistent levels while still maintaining comparable performance. They have been hits in recent years, resulting in Sanwa making follow-up models.

Many years ago, however, Sanwa worked on noise-reduction tech with their JLF replacement PCB: the Flash. Instead of using switches, the Flash uses optics to figure out where the JLF's shaft is traveling. Not only does the optical PCB succeed in minimizing sound output, but it also ensures optimal performance even when extensively used for years. Unfortunately, Sanwa discontinued the Flash in 2006. This, along with other optical levers such as the Happ Perfect360, sell for high prices in the secondhand market. While there have been similar optical JLF PCBs from enterprising technicians in the scene in the years following, they all faced a similar fate. This is not to mention that the Flash and other optical PCBs required more effort to properly install and use, an unappealing aspect at the time. Regardless, they were ahead of their time. Nowadays, players are more adept at modding their sticks and are willing to experiment with new things. This is a perfect time to make a switchless PCB.

Paradise Arcade Shop, an arcade parts supplier in the United States, wants to take on the optical challenge with a replacement JLF PCB that not only scratches the itch of those who wanted the Flash, but also improves it. Teased for years in FGC forums, the Magenta is finally available and provides an experience that rivals that of optical PCBs with new technology and additional features that various folks can appreciate.

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Iori Yagami coming to SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy as MissX

One of The King of Fighters' most iconic characters will be joining the SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy cast this November.

Iori Yagami will be added as DLC in the form of MissX, a boss featured in Neo Geo Pocket Color game SNK Gals' Fighters. The main outfit will portray Iori as the gender-swapped version from the NGBC game, including her purple school girl outfit and Eiji Kisaragi-style mask. MissX's second outfit has her wearing Kyo Kusanagi's classic school clothes. The last outfit featured in the trailer, found after the jump, is MissX's original form: as Iori poorly trying to disguise himself as his feminine alter ego.

Iori joins Skullomania from Arika's fighting games and Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury as some of the characters that received the gender-swapped treatment.

This was previously teased on Oct. 2 by NIS America leading up to the reveal. She will be playable for those who attends London's MCM Comic Con in England on Oct. 26-28.

Readers can check out her trailer after the jump. MissX will be available on Nov. 15, 2018. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is available now on PlayStation 4 and Switch.

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New NorCal StrongStyle set for July 13-14, 2019, 3 vs. 3 team tournament as main event

NorCal's premiere Tekken tournament series will be returning for the new year with a shift in focus.

The newest iteration of StrongStyle will take place on July 13-14, 2019, at San Jose's Doubletree by Hilton hotel, the same venue as the 2018 event. Instead of being a singles tournament like its past entries, next year's StrongStyle will primarily be a 3 vs. 3 team battle tournament.

StrongStyle will also have a qualifier event in Japan where they will take the top three-player team to San Jose to represent the country. This was announced at Japan's popular team tournament Mastercup 10. No details on the date of the qualifier have surfaced.

Follow NorCal StrongStyle on Twitter for future updates.

Virtual-On's first three games coming to PlayStation 4, Tanita's twin stick crowdfunding project succeeds

Players will be able to have a convenient chance to try out the beginning entries of Sega's all-robotic arena fighting game series Cyber Troopers: Virtual-On.

The original Virual-On game, along with its sequels Oratorio Tangram and Force, will be coming to the PlayStation 4. According to Famitsu, Oratorio Tangram will be based on version 5.66, the last update found on both Sega NAOMI and Xbox 360. As of now, no release date nor pricing details have been announced.

This news came from an announcement from Sega's COO Kenji Matsubara on a stream by Tanita, a health products manufacturer. While not known for gaming peripherals, Tanita looked to make a twin stick for Virtual-On games including the recently released A Certain Magical Virtual-On. With help from Sanwa Denshi, Tanita restarted Twin Stick Project Z and looked into Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire to gauge interest. The project succeeded in surpassing its minimum 44.6 million yen requirement.

IGN Korea interviews Nin & owner of Green Arcade about history, custom parts & closure

IGNThe well-known Korean arcade dedicated to Tekken might be closed, but its legacy remains.

IGN Korea writer Lee Dong-hun recently interviewed Nin and then-owner Yoon Kyung-sik about the end of Green Game Land arcade. Both Nin and Yoon talked about how the arcade ran before its untimely closure, its 21-year existence, its hospitality to visiting players and the future for the owner.

One of the most popular things about Green Arcade was their highly coveted custom lever. Commonly referred to as the Green Lever, Yoon goes into detail about the development of what he felt was the ideal lever. This also expands to the notion of work on a custom pushbutton.

The four page piece, which includes pictures of the now-closed arcade, can be found here. There is currently no English translation of the article.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS 2 coming to Japanese arcades on Oct. 30, 2018

The direct follow-up to the popular arcade arena fighting game in Japan has been fully revealed.

Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS 2 now has a release date of Oct. 30, 2018. Developed by Bandai Namco's VSTG Project team and published under BN's Amusement division, this will be playable only in Japanese arcades.

EXVS2 will include over 160 mobile suits with four new suits announced: Gundam AGE-1 Full Glansa from Gundam AGE, Gundam Astray Blue Frame D from Gundam SEED, Montero from Reconguista in G and Zaku Amazing from Gundam Build Fighters. Mechanics-wise, EXVS2 adds two more burst options to the existing three found in Maxi Boost ON. Mobility Burst allows players faster boost speed when activating EX mode. Linkage Burst, when EX mode is on, refills a small amount of both boost and primary weapon ammo depending on how much EX meter is available.

There are a variety of modes to be added in EXVS2 such as training mode and a group play mode.

From 4Gamer's article, EXVS2's cabinets will sport a new look compared to the previous Namco Noir model. In addition, the cabinets will features a 3.5mm headphone jack with volume control for headphone support, a USB charging port and even a built-in pad based on a design by Hori.

There are currently no plans for a home version as of this time. Bandai Namco's Entertainment division released Gundam Versus exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in 2017.

You can check out the promotional video detailing the modes, as well as a CG trailer from Japanese alternative metal band Coldrain, after the jump!

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Fighting EX Layer's Skullomainia coming as guest DLC for SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

One of Arika's most popular fighting game characters will be playable in SNK's latest fighting game.

The latest SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy trailer, found after the jump, has Skullomania from Fighting EX Layer coming into the roster as a guest character. Gender-bent, Skullomania features a variety of her special moves from FEXL including the cheesy Skullo Dream super.

Skullomania is the second downloadable guest character to appear in SNK Heroines. Square-Enix worked with SNK to bring the Thief Arthur character from their Million Arthur property as DLC.

This isn't a first for SNK in collaborating with Arika. Terry Bogard was previously confirmed to be joining the FEXL cast as the first guest character in that game during Evo 2018.

Skullomania is planned for release around mid-October 2018. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is available now for PlayStation 4 and Switch!

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Arika teasing PC version of Fighting EX Layer for Steam platform

It looks like Fighting EX Layer will be getting a PC port!

Arika uploaded a new video showing off simple in-game footage of FEXL, only to zoom outwards revealing that it's being run on a window through a Windows 10 setup. The game is in front of a Steam library window from the account of Arika vice president Ichiro Mihara. Also of note is that there will be Steam achievements, totaling at 41.

The video is followed by simple text of "2019? 2018?" and "4K? 4K!" So far we can assume that FEXL can release sometime between the remainder of 2018 and in 2019 with 4K resolution support.

Back at Evo 2017, the then-untitled FEXL was demonstrated on a PC setup.

The teaser can be found after the jump! Fighting EX Layer is available now on PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Store.

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Final Fantasy XI's Kam'lanaut coming to Dissidia: Final Fantasy AC & NT

A character from the first Final Fantasy MMORPG will be coming to all versions of the current edition of Dissidia: Final Fantasy.

Zilart prince Kam'lanaut from Final Fantasy XI was announced in the Sept. 11, 2018, stream by Square-Enix. He will be playable on Sept. 19, 2018, for those who have access to the arcade version. For Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT players, he is set for October through the season pass and as a separate download.

You can check out Kam’lanaut's gameplay trailer, plus the stream archive showing off more of him, after the jump!

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Tekken 7 receives version 2.01 patch to fix various move bugs

Bandai Namco Entertainment shipped out a patch to the recently updated Tekken 7 alleviating some issues that were of concern.

For PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, patch version 2.01 fixed move bugs from a variety of characters since the release of version 2.00 and the Season 2 content update last week. Users on PS4 and PC can update their game now while XB1 users will have to wait until Sept. 12, 2018.

One of the adjustments include fixing Bryan's taunt tracking, previously unable to hit those who quick roll left of him. Another change is Lars' f+2,1 to Silent Entry, 1 string losing its natural combo property, which originally gave him extremely high combo damage potential especially at walls.

Some of these fixes were from player reports using the Twitter hashtag #tekken7_season2_report with those from the Tekken Project team monitoring the feedback.

You can check out the patch notes officially provided by Tekken Project lead Katsuhiro Harada here.

New Dead or Alive 6 trailer reveals Feb. 15, 2019 release, free to play version announced, various editions and pre-order rewards offered

The new iteration of Team Ninja's staple fighting game series has a release date.

Dead or Alive 6 now has a worldwide release date of Feb. 15, 2019, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC through Steam. A trailer, found after the jump, has been made as part of the release date announcement to show off various gameplay and story beats.

DOA6 was revealed back in early June 2018 in preparation for E3 2018. This release date trailer was made prior to its coming showing at this year's Tokyo Game Show.

According to 4Gamer,there are plans to release DOA6 as a free-to-play variant, similar to Dead or Alive 5 Core Fighters, in the future.

In North America, there are multiple preorder rewards. Players can get Nyotengu for those who preorder on either PS4 or XB1. Steam users who get DOA6 before the March 14, 2019, deadline can also get Nyotengu. A digital deluxe edition will provide 25 extra outfits for the cast of characters, extra music tracks and access to character Phase 4.

For Japanese users, they get a physical collectors edition which features the soundtrack and booklet. There is also the "Strongest Package" which features contents from the Collectors Edition plus some very suggestive pillow sheets of Kasume and Ayane and mouse pads of Marie Rose, Honoka and a new unannounced character.

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Launch trailer for Tekken 7 Season 2 shows off classic outfits for Lei & Anna, UI changes and more

As we are hours away from Tekken 7 Season 2 arriving, the latest trailer shows off what we should expect after updating the game and getting the first two characters.

For those who prefer not using the latest default outfits for Lei Wulong and Anna Williams, the two have their classic attire as customization options. Other outfits for the first two downloadable characters include a tactical suit for Lei and a pirate-themed dress for Anna.

The trailer also shows off a tease of the balance update, the wall bounce mechanic and the combo assist mode. The user interface also gets improvements such as cleaner character and stage select screens as well as a meter to see your current progress in ranks.

Tekken 7 Season 2 is set to kick off on Sept. 6, 2018, with Lei and Anna available through the season pass or separately. The latter four characters, including Negan, will be coming at a later time.

The trailer can be found after the jump!

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Vulcano Rosso & Pullum now available for free as part of Fighting EX Layer version 1.1.0

Two more Arika-designed characters are now available to play in the company's latest fighting game, along with a new update.

Fighting EX Layer has been updated to version 1.1.0 (app version 1.0.4) which adds Street Fighter EX series characters Vulcano Rosso and Pullum Purna to the current cast. Both characters are available for free as part of the update along with two new stages.

Adjustments were made to the characters, Gougi system and general mechanics as core features of version 1.1.0, along with bug fixes and quality-of-life additions. A full breakdown of the update can be found after the jump.

Fighting EX Layer is available now digitally on the PlayStation Store. A physical version has been announced for the Japanese market with no current plans for the West.

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The remaining arcade-exclusive customization items coming home for Tekken 7 Season Two

While players can expect six characters as well as a balance patch in Tekken 7 Season Two, players who get the upcoming season pass will also receive some added bonuses.

Those bonuses include additional customization items that were previously exclusive to T7's arcade counterpart: Tekken 7 Fated Retribution. The most notable addition is the inclusion of clothing, hair, player panels and other accessories from Bandai Namco Entertainment's PlayStation VR game Summer Lesson. New hit effects such as one featuring characters in a dot character format and another featuring various chicken sprites will also be added.

Exclusive to the season pass are promotional clothes for the Tekken World Tour. Most characters, sans Kuma and Panda, are able to equip t-shirts featuring the TWT logo. The bears will have some TWT-style accessories though. While not planned with this season pass, Noctis will get a TWT-branded version of his Fighting King's Rainment outfit in the coming future.

This is confirmed at least for owners of the home versions of Tekken 7 in Japan. Judging by the arcade items included for free during Tekken 7's one year anniversary on home platforms, it's very likely owners outside Japan will get the Season Two bonuses. For pictures on what to expect, check Avoiding the Puddle's post on it.

Tekken 7 Season Two will begin on Sept. 6, 2018, with Lei Wulong, Anna Williams and a balance patch immediately available.