Destructoid reports that the full XBLA release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will happen on none other than July 29, 2009. The PSN release is not known at this point, although it is likely to be a very similar date. The game is also set to be sold at a price of 1200 MS Funbux™, and likely a similar price on the PSN but in actual Dollars/Pounds/Euros/Yen/Your currency.

I remember seeing this game in the shops when I was a kid. At the time, I wanted to buy it because it had Marvel characters in it. Now, I want to buy MvC2 because it has Capcom characters in it. Time changes things, especially the relative coolness of Ryu in my mind.

Giant Bomb reports that, while looking into the files of the PC benchmark test of Street Fighter IV, some fans have found audio files that mention the classic Street Fighter character T. Hawk and Dee Jay. These characters were under considerations to be added in the past, so it seems likely that they will be coming in the future.

Of course, they could be remnants of an earlier version of the game. I hope not, though. The incredibly stereotypical Jamaican with maracas and the American Indian from Mexico will always have a place in my heart. Despite the fact that I get raped every time I play against Dee Jay in Super Street Fighter II HD Remix.

Update: Turns out that this is rumour and rumour alone. the exact words: “T. Hawk and Dee Jay aren’t coming to PC SFIV.” Perhaps the reference to the PC version specifically is a sign, but I doubt it. I’m now officially disappointed.

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, this is the best Zangief cosplay you’ve ever seen. It’s not often you see a cosplayer who has both the face and body of the character they’re portraying, so it really is a treat when you see one like this. I would say that I wanted to give him a hug, but he’d probably jump up and send me spinning into the ground. Since this is real life, I would die a horrible, horrible death.

Street Fighter IV — it’s finally here. Find out just how much ass it kicks as your good friends Rangebar Merani and Sam Naylor assault your eyeballs with a one-two review combo beatdown!

Rangebar’s Take

All I’ve got to say is, “finally”. What took so long, Capcom? After an 11-year drought, the Street Fighter series is back on top of the gaming scene with Street Fighter IV for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. None of that Super-Turbo-Hyper bullshit either, this is the real deal, homies. Any Street Fighter veteran will feel completely at home with Street Fighter IV, even if they haven’t played the game since its glory days in the early 90s. Most of the fighting styles, tactics, and combos remain the same with the entire original cast of characters, and as for the new fighters, you’ll just have to practice with them a little. But that’s what’s so perfect about this game. No matter if you’re a SF veteran, someone just getting into the series or a serious button masher, you’ll have fun with this game in its entirety. Some may get discouraged or intimidated by the amount there is to actually learn in the game to really master it, but if you’re just wanting to have some casual fun you surely can. With it’s first stint on the next-gen consoles (besides the two Street Fighter II remakes for XBLA and PSN), Capcom was able to put a lot of work into the graphics of SFIV, which are absolutely stunning. Although the battles take place in 2D (which is the way they should be) the backdrop, characters, and all other visuals are mostly in 3D, making for a match made in Street Fighter heaven. I was so happy to hear that SFIV didn’t go the way of Mortal Kombat and use a 3D playing field. That would have just lost the essence and feel of a Street Fighter game. Along with beautiful graphics, the arcade mode introduces anime-style, mini-movies that help players get a little understanding of the story and the characters motives in fighting in the tournament. The biggest addition to SFIV is, obviously, online play. Most definitely my favorite part of the game, playing online is so easy to get started (of course if you have a fast internet connection). Playing through the Xbox LIVE service, I was easily able to connect to an opponent in a matter of seconds in a quick, custom or created match. I personally like to use the create a match option that way I can change the settings to my liking and host the match, allowing me to wait on a player with a good enough connection, plus I get to choose which level we fought on. If a player with a bad connection comes into your lobby, sounds mean, but you can just kick their ass out and wait on another opponent. Most of my online matches were lag free and incredibly fun, but also quite frustrating when I was losing. It’s like a love-hate relationship with Street Fighter IV. Over the years the gaming scene has changed a lot. I remember back in the day when fighting games were some of the best games out, but now they’ve taken a back seat to first person shooters, such as Halo and Call of Duty. It’s nice to see that developers like Capcom can still deliver a solid and certainly enjoyable fighting game to those who really love the genre. An even better thing is that they kept the same old formula, but it still works. I wouldn’t want Street Fighter IV to play any other way than it does now because it’s truly lived up to its high expectations and has made a lot of fans, including myself, really happy. With an all-new look, new characters, and the addition of online play, Capcom’s Street Fighter IV is one of the best fighting games to come out in a very long time. Now if I can only get another win online, shit!

Sam’s Take

Before I begin, I’d just like to say that I’m awful at Street Fighter. I know the moves, and I know the ideas around controlling space and timing moves- I’m just not quick enough to keep up with the Street Fighter crowd. With that said, Street Fighter IV is a great game. It’s one of the most compelling games that I’ve played for a good few months; I suck, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. As soon as I picked up Street Fighter IV, I realised that there was hope for the Street Fighter player in me yet. The gameplay is instantly accessible for anyone with a modicum of Street Fighter experience behind them, and barring the more complex areas, should be for newcomers to the series as well. If in doubt, there is an extensive trial mode designed to teach you the basics all the way up to the super-complex combos for every character. The controls remain unchanged for the most part, and if you already know how to pull off a hadouken, you’ll have no trouble here. I’d even argue that the timing is more lenient here, allowing more room for less experienced play. That said, Street Fighter IV, no matter what people are saying, hasn’t been “casualised”. The fighting is as deep as ever, with endless strategies and fighting styles- do you play a defensive game, or be relentlessly offensive? The Arcade mode harks back to, well, the arcade days of gaming- you know, those days where only the truly elite could complete a game on the hardest setting. The final boss of this mode, though, takes it a bit too far. Even on “easiest”, he’s unfairly hard, pulling off combos that sometimes don’t seem to have an end. On a mode called “easiest” you expect even an unexperienced player to be able to get through. If you’re actually good at Street Fighter, then this isn’t such a problem, I’m sure, but bosses that repeat the same move over and over until you’re down isn’t fun, and doesn’t allow you to get better at the game- just get better at exploiting AI flaws. However, there really isn’t much more to critisise this game on. The game is fantastically presented: the graphical style is thoroughly enjoyable- landing an ultra move is something to behold, especially when it finishes the match. The characters’ faces contort with pain or glee when they fight, and the myriad of colours and effects are a delight to the eyes. People praised Mirror’s Edge for being colourful, but it only really had three or four colours; Street fighter IV truly is one of the most colourful games this generation, not to mention one of the most visually striking. I certainly recommend Street Fighter IV. I’m sure if you’re a Street Fighter fan then you’ll have already picked it up, but if you’re interested in the game, or remember the glory days of Street Fighter II, I don’t doubt that there will be something in there for you. Hey, even if you’re just looking for a challenge, Street Fighter IV would be my first recommendation. Just be ready to build up that hard skin again on your left thumb.

Overall, what’s not to love? Nothing, that’s what! Capcom sifted through all of the junk piled on top of modern fighting games and found what’s been missing: simple fun. Street Fighter IV is like retro gaming reborn — a must-have for fighting game fans, and possibly the game to convert some new ones.

Hot off the release of Street Fighter IV and just weeks before Resident Evil 5 comes out, Capcom is ready to announce a new game in the form of a trailer through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The announcement will come sometime in the evening of Monday, February 23. No further details have been released.

What could it be? A brand new IP? Another sequel to one of their famous games? How about a new game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Source: Joystiq via Capcom

EDGE reports that the wait for the PS3 version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is finally over- the game will release tomorrow, Thursday the 19th of February. The game will cost £11.99. The reasons for the delay were never properly revealed, and since the game is actually coming out now, I expect they never will be.

With Street Fighter IV and this releasing in the same week, and Noby Noby Boy as well, this is looking like an expensive week- that’s not even counting Killzone 2 next week and the GTA IV DLC. It’s like October all over again.

Look out Tim Burton, the guys over at Pushing Play have got some stop animation Street Fighter action for your ass. Check out the boys and their toys in the video above and make sure to head on over there and show them some love. Cheesy beat box sounds for the win!

We continue our countdown today with this hot little number. Known for showing off as much ass as she kicks, our number 2 pick is the kind of booty that makes the world a better place. Some ‘Not Safe For Work’ content may be ahead, so brace yourself.

Click images for a larger view.

#2 – Cammy White (Street Fighter series)

Did anyone doubt we would see Cammy on this list? As one of the few female characters from the Street Fighter series, Cammy is arguably the hottest… or at least has the nicest ass. I’m not sure what makes her think that outfit is good for fighting in, but I’m not entirely sure what the rules are in Street Fighter either. Realistically, it’s not much worse than a lot of outfits in women’s sports. Either way, we approve.

Yes, that was a lot of Cammy ass pictures. They are surprisingly easy to find, which speaks volumes to the impact her butt has had on the gaming world. In all of my “research” so far, Cammy’s booty seems to be the most celebrated in terms of the sheer number of ass pictures out there. People just really, really love that ass and for good reason, though I did discover that Cammy’s ass actually belongs to M. Bison (NSFW). The hardest thing to find, actually, was pictures of Cammy from the actual games.

I did manage to find this video here of Cammy kicking some in-game ass:

And here’s a slideshow with a ton more Cammy pictures since it’s easier than uploading them all:

One of the greatest contributions Cammy has made to the world is her imitation in the form of cosplay. Dressing as Cammy essentially means wearing a one-piece and nothing else (maybe a hat), which can be a great thing or a rather horrible thing when you are surrounded by Cammys at a convention.

Here also is a bunch of Cammy cosplayers from around the world — some great, some… not so much.

Cammy was also played by Kylie Minogue in the laughably bad Street Fighter movie. Don’t know who Kylie Minogue is? You should. Here, become more informed through the power of this link.

I think we’ve made a pretty good case for why Cammy’s ass deserves to be so high on this list, but if not… well, make your own list then, you ungrateful jerk! Still curious who that number one spot will belong to? Well, you’ll just have to wait and find out as our countdown of the Nicest Asses in Videogames continues tomorrow.

All the Asses: 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Special Mentions | 1

Why not? It seems the best way to promote your game today is to dress up Media Molecule’s lead character as that of your own. If you’re a fan of the Capcom fighting series, you will apparently be able to pick up the character costumes shown above individually and as a package deal. No word on price or release date just yet. Sit tight.

Source:psnow.es

Edge reports that the PSN version of Capcom’s Super Street Fighter II HD Remix has been delayed “and has no official release date” in the UK. The Xbox Live Marketplace version’s release remains unchanged in the UK, and releases today along with the US versions of the game. No reason was given by Capcom as to why this is the case. Any ideas why the Xbox and US versions remain unchanged but the UK PSN version has been delayed? I’d hazard a guess at a licensing issue, but perhaps there is a more… sinister explanation. Probably not. Anyway, let us know what you think in the comments.

Capcom has confirmed that Backone’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD will hit the PlayStation 3 next Tuesday, November 25, and Xbox 360 next Wednesday, November 26. The PlayStation Network usually updates on Thursdays, but the update will occur on Tuesday next week because of Thanksgiving.

Capcom hasn’t set a price for the downloadable fighter yet, but the announcement is sure to come within the next few days.  With Street Fighter IV just around the corner, Super Street Fighter 2 HD is the perfect appetizer for you Street Fighter fanatics.

Source: ShackNews

Capcom’s Unity Blog reports that the console versions of Street Fighter 4 will be released in the US and Europe on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20 respectively. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be released at the same time, the blog reports. There was no word on the PC version.

Are there any Street Fighter fans here at Ripten? I was a fan of Street Fighter 2 (and am looking forward to the HD remix coming soon), but since I never really played the others, I feel like I might enjoy Street Fighter 4 more than the true hardcore fans, be it only because it looks gorgeous. Any thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

A Dutch Gaming site has uploaded new SFIV screens giving us a first look at Cammy’s tiger striped thighs. Gen, Fei Long, Sakura, and Dan mix it up as well. Hit the jump for a look.

Street Fighter IV Image Gallery – Click Here To View

Source: Gamed.nl (via: Kotaku)

This is the best thing you will see on the Internet today, mainly because it is the best thing I saw on the Internet yesterday. What is it? It’s The Watercooler, bitch!

I’m going to make a few assumptions here and post some words that should be enticing enough to make you want to watch this video: Olivia Munn, Playboy Bunny, sexy librarian, In-N-Out Burger, Chun-Li.

Intrigued? Of course you are.

You’re welcome.

After watching this the first time, I was torn between whether I thought Olivia was being funny or if she was actually kind of a bitch. Then I watched it again and decided that it didn’t matter.

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to dlandis@ripten.com. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

Got the (deep breath) Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta (phew) up and running on the 42 in LCD and roped my roommate, Josh–a gamer and game programmer–into sharing his thoughts along with mine.

It’s really barely a taste of what the final product will be like, but you at least get a sense of what the shiny HD will look like. Click through so you know what you are disagreeing with before you post nasty comments.

Josh: There is a strange disconnect between the precision of the graphics and the wimpiness of the special move effects.

Emily: Yeah, I guess I sort of understand where that is coming from. Feels almost just a like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Josh: Definitely. But it grows on you as all the nostalgic feelings come up, trapping your opponent in a series of punches or quarter-circling them for the last bar of damage.

Josh: To be honest though playing this makes me want to fire up Soul Calibur II on my Xbox.

Emily: Oh yeah, cuz Sung Mina is way hotter than Chung Li. But that isn’t saying much for this game, then, is it?

Josh: Well, if they let us play as more than two characters we’d get to see more of the redrawn Udon Entertainment art.

Emily: Ah, I’d probably be playing Ryu or Ken, anyhow. I guess I don’t know what the proper way to control this would be. I guess this will probably have stick support? I’ve been using the analog to halfway decent success–I mean, for someone who *cough* hasn’t really played much Street Fighter, I am pulling off my fair share of hadokens.

Josh: It’s true, my face was full of fireballs.  I’ve been sticking to the d-pad in an attempt to pull off tighter moves, but, well, any game relying on it suffers some from the 360’s pseudo-digital d-pad, as anyone who’s played Lumines on XBLA can attest.

Josh: The analogue stick is definitely the way to go.  Though that victory would have been way more satisfying if you’d actually fallen to the ground, a burning corpse of pain, instead of standing there with a stupid grin on your face while the announcer told us I’d won.

Emily: Yeah, time-outs suck ;p Ken sez, “Well, at least you threw a punch…”

Josh: Those were some dramatic dust clouds you kicked up there.  I’m have to say I’m underwhelmed by the supposed HD upgrade.

Emily: Welllllll, let’s just call ourselves spoiled instead. If you’re SO used to 1080p that you just don’t care anymore, then let the rest of us have fun until IV comes out!!

Josh: Oh, no, give it to us pixelated and raw, just don’t go halfway.  I’d love it if they gave it to us with original graphics.

Emily: There will apparently be an option for the original sprites in the final game, but it doesn’t seem to be in for the beta. Whoa, did we just do synchronized hurricane kicks?

Josh: That was pretty sweet. Still kicked my butt in the end, though. Poor Ryu. “You’re not bad, but you’re not good either.”  Ken pretty much summed it up right there, didn’t he?  For all my complaining, though, I can’t wait to see the rest of the art and play through the other characters.

Emily: Yeah, I’m not sure if Ken and Ryu, buff and sparkly as they are, will hold my attention for the duration of the beta, but the full release should prove more exciting.

Today is the day, all you proud Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 owners. Buying that unrelated Capcom-published shooter on Xbox Live Arcade has also bought you into the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta, which will last for about 8 weeks. That should be plenty enough time to get a decent re-handle on the two included characters, Ryu and Ken, during both local and online matches (including tournaments!) Check the jump for Capcom’s detailed instructions to getting off some early hadokens.

Step 1: Buy Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 for 800 MS Points

Step 2: Select the “SFII HD Remix Beta” option on the main menu of Wolf

Step 3: You will be taken to a download blade where you can confirm your download.

Step 4: Once the Beta has finished downloading, head to the “Games” blade on your 360

Step 5: Fire up SSFIITHDR in the Demos section on the Games blade and enjoy the online multiplayer goodness!

This week’s Famitsu scans see another warrior sign up for fisticuffs – a Lucha Libre wrestler in a spandex mask.

He goes by the mysterious sounding El Fuerte, which is actually Spanish for ‘The Fort’, although he doesn’t look quite as much of a brick shithouse as Zangief. Lucha Libre is also (apparently) a very aerial form of wrestling, so I’d wager he’ll be a damn sight nippier too.

And that’s all Capcom are saying, so you’ll have be content with this sneaky-peek for now.

Source: Akayuki

Famitsu has just unveiled yet another one of the new characters in the upcoming Street Fighter IV. His name — Abel. His game — amnesia?

Like previous contenders, Abel is fighting for unknown reasons. How creative and not at all clichéd! His fighting style is like a more mobile Zangeif — lots of grapples and throws, but with some nice martial arts kicks (supposedly more “balanced and aligned” than Zangeif’s slow ass).

Hopefully we’ll see some more new characters soon, possibly at GDC. I’m quite interested to check out all of the new female fighters they said they were concentrating on.

Source: Famitsu

Combat will be viewed from the familiar side-on perspective, but the modelling and camera movement will be fully 3D – rendered in the gorgeously stylised manner seen in the trailer and new shots of the game.

Rumour goes that the real beauty of Street Fighter 4 is when it’s seen in motion. The animations are there to impress, and screenshots just don’t do it justice.

Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dhalsim will all feature on the game’s roster, controlled by the “traditional 6-button” interface as seen in the series’ past iterations.

The game’s new site contains a forum and polls to discuss and debate the game.

Street Fighter II remains the series’ peak in terms of popularity, and this sequel, the first in 8 years, is hinted to be a return to everything that made that game great. Whether this is possible, or indeed advisable given the present popularity of the greatly-deep Virtua Fighter 5, remains to be seen – but, as always, you can get the inside scoop with Ripten.

There have been smidgens of review scores from PSM3’s Christmas Edition, but not so much has been seen of the news section in the magazine. And oh, there are a bunch of treats held within its pages. There’s news on Resistance 2, as well as next-gen outings of Hitman, Prince of Persia, and Syphon Filter. Carry on reading after the jump.

For those of you that missed PSM3’s review scores, this is for your benefit:

PS3
Assassins Creed – 81
Call of Duty 4 – 94
Need for Speed ProStreet – 79
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – 80
Beowulf – 41
The Simpsons Game – 70
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men – 58
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – 90

PS2
Crash of the Titans – 62
Thirllville: Off the Rails – 69
Jackass: The Game – 60
Singstar R&B – 70
The Sims: Castaway – 55
High School Musical: Sing it! – 32

PSP
Silent Hill Origins – 82
SOCOM Tactical Strike – 78

A lower than expected review score for Assassin’s Creed, but make sure you come back here for our thoughts on that game next week. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can move onto the good stuff. Within the pages of this Christmas Edition lies nuggets of insider news. From Warhawk downloadable content, to EA working on a snowboarding game…which just might be a next-gen SSX.

However, there’s more exciting stuff. Firstly, Infinity Ward is rumored to be working on an all new IP, expected to hit in 2009. Second, a next-gen Hitman should be coming in the Summer of 2008, and thirdly Ubisoft Montreal is bringing Far Cry to the PS3 in 2008, possibly even early 2008, but at the moment they are busy working on Prince of Persia (!).

Yet, perhaps even more exciting than all of this, is the news that Insomniac is in full swing with Resistance 2. We told you a few weeks ago, based on information we received from a trusted source, that Insomniac was looking to hire game testers for the sequel, and it appears now that our source was right on.

With the games global unveiling due for early next year, Insomniac hopes to release the game late 2008. That is insane. A strong PS3 game every year without fail just shows how incredibly talented those guys at Insomniac are. At this rate Resistance 2 might even release before Metal Gear Solid 4 (I jest). Finally, the magazine states that Sony is busting their butts to have Syphon Filter ready for release on the PS3 in 2009.

So there you have it, lots of exciting things going on away from the publics eyes. Here is PSM3’s remaining insider news:

- Street Fighter 4 won’t look like the teaser trailer.
- NBA Ballers 3 in April 2008.
- Sega has selected Eurocom to develop the official 08 Beijing Olympics game.
- Lego Indiana Jones to tie in with the new movie release date.

Little known facts about Capcom: Their name is pronounced Kapukon in Katakana, the writing system designated for foreign words in the Japanese language. Megaman is actually referred to as “Rockman” in his native Japan. And the name Capcom is actually a partial acronym taken from the company’s original name, Japan Capsule Computers.

Ok, enough Wiki-trivia. What is widely known is that Capcom is a developer that has made some of the greatest games to ever grace a cabinet or console. Whether you were a resident arcade junky or an agoraphobic console jockey, chances are you’ve played one or two of Capcom’s many gems. Based on their successes over the last 28 years, you weren’t the only one.

Capcom made one game that successfully hypnotized any and all who gazed upon it. Whether it was kids at an arcade in Shinjuku, Tokyo or teens killing time at a local Pizzeria during lunch period on Main St., USA, the game had the power of seduction. It showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, and already had a Roman numeral tacked onto its name in reference to a prequel that was unknown to most gamers.

Yes, Street Fighter II is a sacred name for most arcade enthusiasts. It paved the way for the Mortal Kombat, Tekken and Virtua Fighter games that would soon follow. It wrote the book on 2D fighting games and, for many, has never been bettered.

Street Fighter II could separate a 13-year old from his allowance money faster than an angry parent who just discovered the newly shaved family dog. But Capcom was around long before SF II, and has remained long after. This company is no one trick pony.

Arcade games were, and still are, a major source of income for Capcom. While many companies gave up on arcades in favor of home console game development, many of the big guns kept a toe in the quarter-pumping waters, Capcom being one of them. Games like 1942, Commando, and Gunsmoke gave Capcom their initial success, and the much-imitated Final Fight and Street Fighter series carried the torch in later years.

Capcom would go on to dominate home gaming machines. Mega Man would etch the famous blue and gold Capcom logo into the cache of many a pliable mind. Delivering solid side-scrolling action with RPG elements and powerups was a stroke of genius that would spawn five sequels on the NES alone. Dozens of other Mega Man games soon followed on subsequent machines. Bionic Commando and Trojan would also become early Capcom console favorites.

In 1996, Capcom made a little game called Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan). Resident Evil scared the pants off of gamers the world over. It practically invented the “survival horror” genre and its creative puzzles and control scheme would serve as inspiration for 14 sequels on almost every console imaginable (along with three pretty bad movies).

Resident Evil made Capcom a big player in the late 90s, with help from Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe (made by sister company Clover), and the Onimusha series.

So whether its beat ‘em ups, shoot ‘em ups, hack ‘em ups or blow ‘em ups, Capcom delivers the goods time and time again. Versatility is not something that comes easily for most developers, but this Osaka powerhouse hits the bulls-eye time and time again. So whether it’s a classic side-scroller or light-gun operated shooter, you can put your faith in the old blue and gold.

Must Haves:
The Mega Man Collection (Multi),
Resident Evil 4 (Multi)

Have Nots:
Dino Crisis (PS1)

Top Ten Developer List: 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1