The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 6: Online Stores

Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons. Credit: Jasen's CustomsWe are at the end of The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide for the year. Now you know what sticks you can get before you go to your local tournament, regional major or even Las Vegas for EVO. Let's accessorize!

If you already have your stick, you might want to customize it to your liking. Maybe you are looking for new buttons, a bat top for your lever or something advanced.

The selection of stores featured after the jump have products that will fit your needs. There is something for everyone!

Click to read more ...

The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 5: Xbox One & PlayStation 4 Sticks

The new age of consoles have arrived and that means new fighting games! It also means new arcade sticks! While most players will still be playing fighters from the previous generation for a while, soon everyone will be playing games on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. here is a list featuring all available arcade sticks for both platforms.

Being early into the generation, there are only a couple of sticks currently available. Once more games come out down the line, you will see more sticks in the market. To those who want to use their existing sticks, there are alternatives. Whatever your budget or preference is, here is the full scoop.

Click to read more ...

The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 4: More Arcade Sticks

With Mad Catz, Hori and Qanba/Eightarc covered, here are some more arcade sticks to check out.

Most sticks featured in this edition of the guide have compatibility on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Players looking for a unique multiplatform stick different from the competition will probably find worth in these models. Some featured sticks are normally sold outside North America, so players will likely need to pay international shipping to receive them. There is also the possible risk of sticks carrying no warranty or return policy. To players who have more money to spend and are willing to gamble, here is the list.

Click to read more ...

Curleh Mustache NorCal, July 5, 2014

Today, TeamSpooky revealed the next edition of the Curleh Mustache series of tournaments. Curleh Mustache NorCal is coming live from San Francisco on July 5, 2014, at Venue 550.

The invite list for the event is still pending but given the date of the tournament, Curleh will be the last chance for West Coast players to seriously practice before Evolution 2014. Curleh Mustache NorCal will be brought to viewers by IPLAYWINNER, TeamSpooky, Brokentier and ten/o LLC with streaming live on Twitch.tv/teamsp00ky.

More information on the event will be made available in the coming days and weeks.

The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 3: Qanba & Eightarc

Both Qanba and Eightarc are the next companies featured in this edition of The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide. They are known for their multiplatform and special arcade sticks.

Based in China, Qanba is the most popular arcade stick in that nation and is becoming one of the most recognized in the rest of the world. Distributor affiliate Eightarc, stationed in the San Francisco Bay Area, also has its own versions of Qanba's sticks. Let's take a look!

Click to read more ...

The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 2: Hori

Welcome back to The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide! We will be focusing on Hori this time around. Unlike Mad Catz, which is based in the United States, Hori originally created peripherals for players in Japan. The company's efforts expanded to manufacturing products internationally.

Going back to the days of the original PlayStation and further back, Hori has been making sticks and been improving its designs. Coming from Japan, the company also promoted Japanese arcade parts in a time where American sticks and parts were the norm. This is what Hori has to offer.

Click to read more ...

The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 1: Mad Catz

It's time once again to introduce the new edition of the yearly feature series, The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide! For those looking to buy a new arcade stick for the biggest fighting game tournament or even shopping for their first stick ever, this is your chance to see what companies have in store!

While this edition of the guide will focus more on peripherals compatible with Xbox 360, take note that some will have a version that can work on PlayStation 3. In addition to showcasing arcade sticks, the guide will delve into additional content including controller pads so stay tuned!

To kick things off, let's take a look at what's currently available from one of the major peripheral companies, Mad Catz. Ever since introducing the Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition during the launch of Street Fighter IV in 2009, Mad Catz has been a flagship company for arcade sticks all around the world.

Click to read more ...

Cognitive Dissonance: Subjectivity

The debate to ban Kokonoe rages online and her game is still two months away from its North American release. BlazBlue: ChronoPhantasma launches in the United States on March 25, but by then it's likely that the DLC character who is causing such a fuss will be deemed unplayable in U.S. tournaments. It has already been a long and somewhat annoying road, but make no mistake banning characters from tournament play is something that is never done lightly. Tournament organizers want to have enough evidence that they can be sure they aren't simply removing one top-tier character so another can take its place. They need to be sure that the character in question is “breaking” the game.

Sadly, this is something that can never be proven. This is because, as a decentralized body of small scenes and tournament groups, there is no objective set of rules that determines when a character has indeed overstepped the bounds of simply being high tier into broken territory; every decision people make is subjective. Even when Damien “Damdai” Dailidenas convinced the HD Remix community that Akuma needed to be banned, some people still argued against it. Looking back on that decision now, it seems that banning HDR Akuma was the right decision for the game's lifespan, but that's about as close as anyone can get to saying it was objectively the right choice.

Click to read more ...

Beneath The Hat: Tournament Seeding & You!

I got into an internet argument today about seeding so I am just going to vomit words about it.

Seeding in the fighting game community is largely a joke, since it's based on largely arbitrary factors and sometimes based on nothing at all. It's not the fault of the tournament organizers; rather the fault lies with the fact that the FGC is so segmented and lacks unified structure. The most common way a tournament is seeded is by perceived skill. You put a relatively equal amount of top players into each pool and then just let them play it out. This totally disregards results, and results should matter in regards to seeding.

"But Honzo, I am mega tournament organizer I seed every tournament ever ur stupid blasdhskdh."

Click to read more ...

Fighting Bang: Fighting Games Centers In South Korea Part 2 - Interview With CONG's BC McMild

Along with Cafeid, there is another center in Seoul, South Korea dedicated to many fighting games and its players in the nation.

Culture Of New Generation, sometimes referred as CONG Tuh or simply CONG, is another Korean gaming center dedicated to fighting games. Opened on June 2013, CONG is the newer of the two major gaming centers in Korea next to Cafeid.

With contributions from Hoodman, you can read the full interview with CONG creator Byungchul "BC McMild" Kim after the jump! For more information, you can find CONG on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch!

Click to read more ...

Fighting Bang: Fighting Game Centers In South Korea Part 1 - Interview With Cafeid's Kensouzzang

In South Korea, fighting games are overshadowed by other competitive games including Starcraft II and League of Legends. Places to play against other like-minded players are still limited to some Tekken-centralized arcade centers. However, in Seoul, there are two areas that are likened to that of the nation's many PC bangs (PC rooms).

The first, and most commonly known, center is Cafeid. With the help of NorCal player Hoodaman, we interviewed creator Dae Hwan Kim, also known as Kensouzzang. He created Cafeid to provide a place for players of many different fighting games to come by, play with each other and casually socialize amongst one another.

In addition to managing the center, Kensou would help put Korea on the fighting game radar with a team of strong players who come to Cafeid.

You can find the full interview after the jump! You can find more information about Cafeid on their Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch channel!

Click to read more ...

Review: Soulcalibur II HD Online (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

A decade since its release on the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and the original Xbox, the second Soulcalibur returns with upscaled graphics and netplay. While the updated port provides the same solid game with great-looking visuals, the other half of this package makes the title a complicated buy.

The Soul series, especially Soulcalibur II, allows players to move throughout the stages with free-form movement; both the sidestep and 8-way run mechanics give players ways to strategically attack or evade opponents. To complement the movement, players only attack with horizontal, vertical and kick buttons with defense performed with a dedicated guard button. Learning the basic game is simple and fun enough that players can quickly focus their energy on strategy, such as when or when not to attack, as well as understanding their position in one of the many levels featuring walls and/or pits.

Click to read more ...

Review: Qanba Q2 Glow LED Arcade Stick (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

LEDs on arcade sticks is an interesting trend in arcade stick modification. Not being mandatory such as replacing core parts and not necessarily complementary as multi-console compatibility, LEDs are more or less icing on the cake. Similar to changing artwork, adding lights provides a visual flair to someone's arcade stick. While mostly common through custom modding, Qanba now utilizes this technology in one of its arcade sticks.

Titled the Q2 Glow, Qanba expands its Q2 Pro line with a stick that lights up when in use. While it isn't the first arcade stick to use built-in LEDs, Qanba made the Q2 to stand out in the field. Combined with solid parts of their own, this stick shines, albeit at a slightly high price.

Click to read more ...

Review: The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition

The King of Fighters XIII's console online mode was the stuff of nightmares. While players could technically play each other online, the netcode was bad enough to render all online games unusable for people looking to further their competitive play. It was so bad that people labeled KOF XIII a dead game almost immediately on its launch, believing the offline community alone could not carry the game. Two years later, however, and The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition arrived to create the definitive version of the game and improve on the problems of its console release. The version for Windows computers is definitely the best version of KOF XIII to date, but it's still not a flawless package.

For those who have never played KOF XIII, it is a game that tries hard to please both new and old players alike. For every instance of SNK Playmore rebooting the franchise in the game, whether it be through redesigned and updated graphics; easier gatling-style combos and other beginner-friendly options like trials mode; or the HD combo system, there is always a gameplay quirk of older SNK games left alone. Some of these quirks include input shortcuts and alternate guard, two exploits found in older KOF games that became “features” during the years. What then emerges from that development mentality is a game that is not really new, except in looks, but that doesn't play exactly like the older SNK games either.

Click to read more ...

IPW Exclusive: Interview With Infiltration, Post-EVO 2013 Thoughts

Courtesy of David Zhou (@dz)

Almost two months after EVO, South Korea's Infiltration speaks to IPLAYWINNER!

With help from interviewer LOD 38, Hoodaman ironed out the questions and answers for your pleasure.

Topics featured in this special interview includes his general and specific experiences at EVO 2013, the worldwire competitive scene and more.

Make sure to check out the extensive interview after the jump!

Click to read more ...

Review: GamerFinger HBFS-30-G2 30mm Pushbuttons

The HBFS-30-G2 buttons. (From left to right) Offered are the black, transparent, and white/black variants.A year after the successful crowdfunding drive of the HBFS-30 (Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger) push buttons, Pei Kao of GamerFinger returns to improve on the design that proved its worth in an era where most arcade stick owners use either buttons from Sanwa Denshi or Seimitsu. The distinctive design decisions GamerFinger created for the HBFS-30s certainly provided a unique flavor nobody tried. The results turned out well, but the end product was weakened by subtle production issues that prevented the buttons from being fully fleshed out. GamerFinger's new buttons, the HBFS-30-G2s, remedy some of the faults from the first generation as well as maintaining their positives and adding a bit more flexibility. This combination from Taiwan should give the Japanese companies a run for their money.

The G2 maintains much of its physical, mechanical and philosophical design from its predecessor. Instead of going for the circular shape found on most, if not all, arcade push buttons, the G2 opts for using the hexagonal rim once again. Fortunately, the shape still doesn't affect the G2s for those who might multi-tap a button as the plunger to rim slope is smooth when moving fingers.

Click to read more ...

Review: Skullgirls (PC)

After much anticipation from fans and computer gamers alike, the PC version of Skullgirls was released on Aug. 22 through Steam. This is indeed a port of the console version, but thanks to the folks at Marvelous AQL developer Lab Zero Games have had more time to optimize this version. The PC build provides better online features, improved game balance and more chraracters funded by the fans. In short, Skullgirls on Steam is probably the best version of Skullgirls yet.

As a fighting game Skullgirls feels like a mix of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Guilty Gear XX and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. There are assists, air dashes, push blocks, great and intuitive normals, two button supers, two button throws and much more. The game allows players to select team size as well, giving them the option of one super powered character, two normal powered characters or three weaker characters. While having a team of three would be considered weaker because of the lower vitality and damage rating, the addition of assists and delayed hyper combos the combination can be incredibly effective. The weakest from a competitive standpoint is probably a solo character, but with proper defense and effective offense plowing through enemies can be a breeze. However, the lack of assists forces players to take more risks that may or may not succeed.

Click to read more ...

Review: Divekick

It's fascinating to see that a move in fighting games evolved to having a game specifically to have players exclusively perform the attack. If you can ignore the constant inappropriate humor and sometimes forced depth, Divekick uses its namesake to provide a simple and fun experience that players of all skill levels can enjoy.

The game is structured with dive kicks as the main attacking move. To fully embrace this concept, the game is designed to only utilize two buttons: a jump and a dive kick. The goal is to simply hit your opponent with your dive kick once to win the round. This focus allows players of all levels to basically think about their positioning in game. They don't have to worry about venturing into things such as learning combos and blocking as the depth is structured differently in Divekick.

Click to read more ...

IPLAYWINNER's Summer Arcade Stick Contest, Win One From Eightarc, From Aug. 14 - Aug. 21

Are you new to fighting games and need an arcade stick? Maybe you are transitioning from using pad. What if you just need a new stick? Here is a chance to win one courtesy of the Eightarc!

We will be giving away two Qanba Q1 PlayStation 3 arcade sticks and one Eightarc Fusion Synthesis multi-console stick. From Aug. 14 to Aug. 21, you can win one of these sticks by filling out our survey here! Aside from the necessary contact information, the survey will ask questions about arcade sticks and arcade stick accessories. Although not all required to answer, it would be really good to provide your input in case we post results in the future.

You can find more rules and information about the contest after the jump! Good luck!

Click to read more ...

Review: Joytron EXChanger Arcade Stick

Peripheral companies like Mad Catz, Qanba, Hori and Razer are able to reach out to many markets around the world with their arcade sticks but there are some that are isolated to their native nations; South Korea's Joytron being one of them. Whether or not they have plans for international release, they made an arcade stick of their own with the EXChanger. While the EXChanger has some traits that you can find in some arcade sticks today and doesn't necessarily change the playing field, it does have it's own unique aspects that you can't find anywhere else all at a decent price.

The most striking aspect found on the stick at first glance is its body. Although most arcade stick exteriors differentiate from each other, they have a certain conformity with shapes to the designs. Constructed by Korean group Red Design, the EXChanger has the most unorthodox look in commercial arcade sticks due to more rounded areas. In another way of saying, the EXChanger's body is more 3D than 2D, more dynamic than flat. It's really good that Joytron wanted to differentiate themselves cosmetically.

Click to read more ...