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 update brings reduction in SFV input lag, increased stability

The promised lag reduction update for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition has been released, and with it has come new numbers for players to crunch and observers to judge.

According to both DisplayLag and WydD, the game's lag has been reduced by one frame—down from just above six frames with monitor delay to roughly five on PlayStation 4, or five to four without adding the monitor. While a comprehensive PC test has not been done, WydD also estimates that it too has seen a decerease of almost half a frame.

In addition, WydD also notes that the game's stability has increased, meaning that there a now less lag spikes that shift the average delay of the game.

What all this means is that SFV should now be a smoother, more responsive experience than ever for its players, but those who weren't fans before will not likely be tuning in to find a radically different game if they were hoping for one.

Next SNK Heroines DLC character to be revealed on Oct. 25

The next addition to the SNK Heroines roster will be unveiled before the end of October.

A tweet by NIS America teased the game's third DLC character, showing a silhouette of the fighter with images of animals all around them. The new combatant will be unmasked on Oct. 25 and then playable at MCM Comic Con in London from Oct. 26-28, 2018.

The new character will join Thief Arthur from Million Arthur and ARIKA's Skullomania as DLC for SNK Heroines. No release date or price was given at this time, but it's likely the character will cost players $4.99.

SNK Heroines is currently available for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

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.

Season 2 update for Tekken 7: Fated Retribution coming February 2019

The update that will bring console DLC characters as well as the new balance changes from Tekken 7's Season 2 will be coming to the game's arcade version in early 2019.

The news of Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Round 2 was officially revealed during the Mastercup 10 team tournament in Japan, with a new trailer from Bandai Namco and the opening of a website for the content. This will bring Noctis, Eliza and Geese Howard to the arcade version for the first time, along with the recently released Anna Williams and Lei Wulong.

Readers can check out the trailer below. Tekken 7's second season of content is currently being rolled out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam, with Anna and Lei as the first new downloadable characters.

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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.

Central Fiction Special Edition comes to Switch on Feb. 7, 2019, in Japan

The most recent game in the mainline BlazBlue series will be coming to Nintendo Switch early in 2019 with some bonuses for late adopters.

According to Famitsu, many of the additions to the core of BBCF that were paid DLC in other versions will be included in BlazBlue Central Fiction Special Edition when it releases on Nintendo's console. No list of the content is available at this time, but it seems a good bet that at least all the DLC characters—Jubei, Es and Mai Natsume—will be included.

BlazBlue Central Fiction first released to arcades on Nov. 19, 2015, with a PlayStation 3 and 4 release coming in the fall of 2016. A Steam version of the game followed in the spring of 2017.

Gear up: Arc System Works teaming with SuperGroupies to bring Guilty Gear, Blazblue-inspired apparel to Japan

Backpacks, cardigans and cell phone cases based on the designs of popular Arc System Works characters are coming as part of the company's new collaboration.

The items will be coming from SuperGroupies, a Japanese apparel company that seeks to merge anime and gaming style with that of normal clothing and accessories. 

On the Guilty Gear side, there will be a backpack, iPhone case and Cardigan with colors and designs referencing Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, Ramlethal Valentine and Elphelt Valentine. For BlazBlue, Ragna the Bloodedge, Jin Kisaragi and Hazama will all get phone cases, while Ragna receives a backpack, Jin a smaller should bag and Hazama gets a messenger or laptop-style pack. 

All items are now available for preorder but they don't come cheap, with the cell phone cases costing 5,800 yen (roughly $50) while the cardigans are 12,800 (~$115) and the bags vary from 12,800 to 17,800 (~$115-160). Prospective buyers outside Japan will also need to jump through extra hoops as SuperGroupies does not ship internationally. Those still interested can check out the collection at SuperGroupies.

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.

The zodiac awakens: Pegasus Seiya, Dragon Shiryū join Jump Force

Another classic world has joined Jump Force as two of Saint Seiya's Knights of the Zodiac have been added to the ranks of playable characters.

The series protagonist, Pegasus Seiya, and "most composed" Dragon Shiryū fight with their normal cloths but can awaken their seventh sense and utilize the golden cloths for super attacks.

Readers can check out the trailer for both characters after the jump. Jump Force is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in February 2019.

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More Echo Fox cuts revealed as JDCR, Saint announce departure

The downsizing of Echo Fox is more broad than first thought, as the organization has also parted ways with its Tekken players Hyunjin "JDCR" Kim and Jinwoo "Saint" Choi.

In separate statements made on Twitter, JDCR and Saint both thanked Echo Fox for the almost two years they spent with the team.

In the time since Echo Fox signed the pair of players during early February 2017, JDCR and Saint have been a force in global competitive Tekken, winning or making a top-three placing at many events such as Evo and the Tekken World Tour finals.

In his statement, Saint said that he'll always remember being able to live his "pro-gamer dream" and that it has a been "a blessing I'll never forget."

South Korea's Green Arcade closes its doors

Core-A GamingOne of the top arcades for Tekken in South Korea is no more.

Green Game Land, known to many players simply as Green Arcade, has shuttered after several factors converged, causing the owner (known as "mom" to the patrons) to call it quits.

According to a post on the Tekken Reddit, the arcade's building was scheduled to be remodeled and thus the arcade would be closed for a time. Combined with the decreasing income due to the console and PC versions of Tekken 7 being more current than the arcade version, and the owner's advancing age, the decision was made to close the business for good.

Both Nin and Knee posted goodbyes to the arcade, with Knee saying that Korean arcades are ending.

For players outside South Korea, Green Arcade was a legendary location, where many of the best Tekken players regularly played and the level of competition was at its apex. The arcade even hosted the many trophies won by its players at events all around the world.

From this point on, however, the name Green Tekken will simply live on in Nin's social media handles.

Echo Fox announces realignment, releases teams, several FGC players

Citing a "strategic effort to best position our organization for the future," Echo Fox has dropped its Gears of War and Call of Duty teams as well as fighting game players Jivan "Theo" Karapetian, Victor "Punk" Woodley and Brad "Scar" Vaughn.

While the organization itself did not name the players, all three tweeted out their free agency, thanking Echo Fox for its support during their time with the team.

Scar had been a part of Echo Fox since the team's big-name aquisitions kicked off 2017, while Theo had spent almost a year and a half with the team and Punk just over six months.

Readers can check out the full statement about the situation from Echo Fox President Jared Jeffries on the organization's Twitter account.

New guide from YUYU teaches beginners the Tekken 7 basics

A new video from Core-A Gaming and UYU's YuYu has been released to help new players gain familiarity with Tekken 7, its systems and basic gameplay.

The tutorial, which runs roughly 17 and a half minutes, covers many basic concepts such the game's buttons and different heights of attack but also covers much deeper elements such as movement and punishment.

Readers can check out the video after the jump.

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Get on the mat: Bass, Tina and Mila join Dead or Alive 6

Three more returning fighters have been revealed as part of the cast of DOA6.

The pro wrestling father-daughter duo Bass and Tina Armstrong once again join the ranks of Dead or Alive, each bringing their unique wrestling styles to the character roster. They are joined by fellow combat sport participant Mila, who made her first appearance in DOA5 and uses mixed martial arts-inspired strikes and grappling.

Readers can check out the reveal trailer for all three characters after the jump. Dead or Alive 6 launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam on Feb. 15, 2019.

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Burning hatred: Inferno returns in Soul Calibur VI

The main villain of the Soul Calibur series returns as an unlockable boss in Soul Calibur VI.

Inferno fights with moves taken largely from Nightmare's arsenal in SCVI, but has some of his own unique attacks. According to Avoiding the Puddle,he is unlocked after beating the game's Chronicle of Souls mode. While usable in Versus Mode, Inferno is not playable in online matches.

Readers can check out Inferno's trailer after the jump. Soul Calibur VI releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on Oct. 19, 2018.

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Omen of Sorrow available for preorder on PS Store with discount

Omen of Sorrow, the horror-themed fighting coming to PlayStation 4 on November 6, 2018, is now available for preorder on the PlayStation Store with savings for those who buy the game ahead of its release date.

Omen of Sorrow will feature 12 characters based on "horror, myth and lore" and will feature online multiplayer powered by GGPO. The game will cost players $49.99 at release, but buyers can currently receive a 10 percent discount on the game if they preorder. In addition, those who have PlayStation Plus will get an additional 5 percent off, putting the game's cost at $42.49.

Regardless of whether players have PS Plus or not, all preordering users will receive an Omen of Sorrow theme for PS4.

ARIKA gives details on Steam, arcade versions of FEXL, future updates

In a post to the company's official Facebook page on Oct. 1, ARIKA's vice president Mihara Ichirou announced that the company is working on two new versions of Fighting EX Layer as well as an update for the PlayStation 4 iteration of the game.

The new versions will be the Steam and arcade ports of the game, with development made easier by the fact that the Taito arcade board and Steam use the same operating system. As there may be some tweaks to the Gougi system in those versions, the team has also undetaken preparing an update for the PS4 version of the game.

Mihara also said that although the PS4 version of the game has so far succeeded in the company's expectations, it was not a "jack-pot" and that ARIKA wants more success with the new versions of the game. While he noted that the PS4 release allowed them to release two extra characters at no cost, any future "development of any potential updates or new content is based on the sales of these upcoming versions." He further stated that given the costs, it will be impossible for the company to provide cross-play options for players when the new versions do release.

No possible release dates for the new versions of the game were made available at this time. Readers can check out ARIKA's Facebook page for the full statement.

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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