More Info On SOTA's Gouken

Extra information on Sota's San Diego Comic Convention exclusive Street Fighter Gouken:


Source: Action-Figure SOTA Forum.

Jerry Macaluso, President/Founder Of SOTA Toys wrote:

It may not seem it but getting this figure done in time for SDCC with everything thats gone on with the old factory is not easy.

We basically had to cast a new Akuma protoype and resculpt many pieces. The time crunch is causing this figure to cost FOUR TIMES what it normally would to make. it should be $60 using our standard margins...lol... so its basically a break even for me. But we get a figure we all want.

Making interchangable pieces requires more de-bugging time than we have to get these on time. It may sound simple but all of you have encountered pieces that are difficult if not impossible to interchange. it would be a nightmare on a schedule this tight.

And this is a 100% new tooling as we have zero access to Akumas tooling.

I do have King Atlas and Green Baron. Two of each. I have two of every Micronaut. One mint and one to open. Sometimes more than two..lol. I believe I have one of the best collections in the world.

If you all remember my rule has always been that all fans will have access to every character.

I always made it clear that not every version of every character will be available to everyone.

Our Gouken has yelling head, fists and Shoryuken. Toy Rockets has normal head, open hands and Hadouken.

Toy Rocket will be selling their Gouken on their site so you will be able to get it there if you cant attend SDCC. That is giving all fans in the USA access to the character. I hope they keep the price at $20 but I cant guarantee anything.

If we have any left of ours after the con we will be doing the same but I doubt we will as we have less of them because....

We have sold a certain amount of the yelling head SOTA version to our European and Japanese distributors so collectors in those countries can get them without having huge shipping fees.

The hands and heads are NOT interchangable ( there was no time to work out the engineering on that with the new factory ) . So just buy the one you like best. I made two versions because it helped us cover the steel tooling not because I was trying to get you to buy both copies.

So if you want a Gouken its available to you. If you are a completist I dunno what to tell you other than being a completist is ALWAYS ridiculously expensive.. yer talking to a guy who had to have both Italian and American versions of Ampzilla and it cost me almost $5k.

- The other exclusive looks to be done on time..its not SF and is really limited..I think 500 pieces... its a Johnny Cash variant

- Gouken WILL be available preview night.

MidniteSuby wrote:
Hey Jerry
When will we get to see the final non-mock up pics of the figure? I also want to see how the Hadoken acessory looks like

-Early June

J

SOTA Street Fighter ToyLine Update# 15

Source: Action-Figure SOTA Forum.

Jerry Macaluso, President/Founder Of SOTA Toys wrote:

- The clear SF gifts were packaged.

- Accessory packs are being sculpted..Adam and Rene are running with it..I dont think we'll announce any details until SDCC

- Its not necessarily Capcoms dislike for Marvel legends style figures its the entire eastern cultures dislike. They prefer Kotobukiya and Kaiyodo style 'hidden' articulation. They like articulation to be on a figure by figure basis. They perceive articulation as an 'art'. Marvel legends are seen to be 'cheap' because the articulation is so visible..they are seen to be 'kids toys' same with SF. Of course I didnt know this until after I commited to ML style articulation. I still would have done it the same way even if I had the hindsight...I dont particularly like Kaiyodo or kototbukiya style articulation. I guess its cuz I grew up with Microman/Micronauts and thats what I like.

- My deal with Capcom is i can do whatever I want in plastic..articulated or unarticulated..between 3" and 18" with any character from the Street Fighter Universe except EX characters. That gives me a lot of leeway. I only need to get creative approvals on the 'look' of things.

- No booth at the Toronto Comiccon..sorry..wish we had the staff to do more conventions but we need to get back to work. We only take a week off for SDCC

- Gouken has the X on his forehead but you cant really see it in the pics.

- We've never done anything organized. Its really just fan/collector interaction online and at cons. Truthfully without a new game to rebuild a younger fan base the potential of the franchise just isnt big enough to warrant the costs of more in depth marketing.

- Capcom sees everything before we release pics but they rarely have any comments. There were only two times we battled with them. First was at the very begining trying to get them to understand the 'Marvel Legends' style..they hated it..every japanese company hates it. Second was the infamous 'bloody' 2 pack... but really capcom is fantastic to work with.

- As for 'scrapped concepts/early sketches' .. yeah I have stuff I plan on putting on the new website.

- Let me tell you how we went into the SF line... both feet first. That was at the very begining of the company...Tomb Raider hadnt even come out yet so Jed and I ( yes that was the entire company) had no clue what we were doing. I always knew that I wanted to try and spread out the popular characters to support more rounds but I hadnt planned on letting the fans vote when we started. The fan vote came about through discussions with Nomad and Adrian. They suggested it.

- My fav memory of this SF line was when we released the very first teaser pic of M Bison and the action-figure traffic went bananas...thats when I knew we had something.

- Hellhound..I think it would be a good idea to put the previously released figues on the packaging somewhere.

- What happens to Darkstalkers orders that have already been placed. I dont have an answer to that yet...

- Shipping to Canada. Thats a Jed thing..though I know we have a policy to not mark shipping up. We use an outside packing service so theres additional costs besides the shipping itself..they charge us for the box, the tape, the unpacking then repacking, loading etc.. that adds to each figure. You should email jed@sotatoys.com

- I think Jed is planning to bring some older 'rare' figures to sell that we found in the warehouse..
- IF we re-do Ken and Ryu we WILL put in forward/back shoulder movement..

- With Gouken comoing out I think Goutetsu is a possibility down the road

- When we do Oro I DO want to give him the rocks

- My fav SF girl...probably Karin for cuteness factor.. Chunners for Cool factor

- Capcom is thrilled theres a Gouken..I dont think they ever thought it would happen. I didnt actually ask them if we could do it..hes part of SF..I just had to have them approve the look. They didnt know we did it until I showed it to them.

- The rotocast SF figures didnt sell all that well...we may try it again later in 07 once the new webstore thingie is up.

- I havent seen the SF6 vote results so I dont know how Geki did. Your guess is as good as mine.
- Actually KameN we havent done the artwork for the Gouken clamshell..shoot me an email with an attachment of your work. Jerry@sotatoys.com

- Darkstalkers is planned for release in early 07 as our first online only line. You will see Demitris new head sculpt at SDCC but it wont be painted...or maybe it will..you never know..

- SF5 will be shown completely painted at SDCC.

- We do intend to develop some new styles of articulation. I just cant throw that at the new factory right now as its hard enough for them to understand the quality I demand.

- I go into the voting thing one round at a time. On R7 I might change how we do it..but until we're ready for it I just dont know.

- I get asked a lot at the office about re-doing Ryu and Ken. Im pretty sure it will happen but not sure when. It might be some kind of box set.

- Nothing is timed with the PS2 compilation game.

- Will the Gouken be sold with a ticket system.. not sure..thats up to Jed..he sort of organizes SDCC. Yes Gouken will have his own card..I dont think there are moves to list really.

- Wont have any Gouken accessories to show for a few more weeks. But they're kinda gummi..thats the established style.

- We were about to cancel our SDCC booth because I didnt think we could get an exclusive done in time with the old factory jacking all the molds. I dont like to go to SDCC without a fun exclusive. At the same time I was well aware that there were a lot of people spreading rumors that SOTA was going under and not attending SDCC would only help those people to spread their gossip.

So I talked to the new factory and they said they could do it but it would be very expensive. We sent an Akuma to them to find out how expensive. When we got the cost back it was enormous and I figured Gouken was dead in the water as with everything else going on I just couldnt afford to throw this into the mix financially.

Well Toy Rocket got wind of it and offered to cover half the costs for half the figures and that made it do-able. So then Adam, Rene and Alexi worked their butts off to get it sculpted in less than a week. We actually didnt even have time to mold it..we just sent the sculpt to china..thats why you are only seeing photoshop colored pics.

- Gouken should be available in the UK wherever SF figures are sold. If he isnt its not because we didnt offer it..it'll be because the UK distributor didnt want it. But it will be after SDCC. I am pretty sure it will only be the SOTA version that is available unless Toy Rocket decides to sell theirs to UK independantly from us.

- Its far too late to change the way the figures are coming.

- If we have Goukens left after SDCC they'll go up on our site within a week.

- If and when we go online only everything overseas ( outside USA) will remain as it currently is. If Forbidden Planet currently carries our figures they should continue to carry them.

- ta da !

J

Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (X360)

By GameSpy Staff

Spiffy: Looks and sounds just like the arcade game; offline head-to-head is a blast; it's the same style of fighting that we all know and love.

Iffy:When it comes to fighting games, there's Street Fighter II and there's everything else (for many gamers, at least). The game (and all of its myriad variants) took the gaming world by storm in the early 1990s, and it wasn't uncommon to see lines at the machine from the moment the arcade's doors opened. There have been a number of collections released on consoles in recent years, but the announcement that Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting would be available for download on Xbox Live sent a shiver down the collective spine of fanboys everywhere. GameSpy's editors finally got a chance to play the game for a nice, long period of time, and we decided to share our thoughts with our loyal readers.

Will "The Brazilian Shocker" Tuttle, Console Editor: Well, the months of waiting have finally paid off, as we all got our first full taste of the Xbox Live Arcade version of Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting today. It was clear from the moment we turned the game on that Capcom knew better than to mess with their most prized (sorry Mega Man!) property. The game kicks off with the same brutal street fight (that punch to the face looks unpleasant) that we all saw a million times in our local arcade, and the character selection screen is virtually identical to the original. All of the audio (both music and effects) sounds great, and the graphics look very good, although not quite as crisp as in the arcade, even on an HDTV. The only thing that I wasn't crazy about was the default screen size, which was basically a small box in the middle of the screen. Thankfully, it didn't take long to change that in the options menu.

Miguel "Big Christ" Lopez, MMO Editor: Yup, it's Street Fighter all right. All the sights and sounds ring true (yes, I'm sure there are some off elements that purists will get their drawers in a bunch over, but those people don't count). If you've ever played a Street Fighter game on a console, then you'll know that it can take quite a bit of work to get used to playing it on a control pad, but that's just par for the course. Incidentally, I wish the original model Xbox controller worked on the 360; clunky as it was, it had six face buttons arranged perfectly for the purpose of Street Fighter. Are there any Xbox-control-interface-to-USB adapters on the market? If so, this would be a great time to get one. Incidentally, I wonder if there is a way to make my old Dreamcast ASCII pad work on the 360. That would be fresh. Anyway, enough about controls -- we tried playing online, and boy, was it bad. I'll let someone else open that can of worms, but here's to hoping that the network code in this pre-release version is far from final.

Sterling "Forgot How to Play As Everyone Except Ken" McGarvey, Associate Console Editor: So, yeah, Street Fighter II on Xbox Live Arcade. It sounds so amazing. As soon as word got around that a preview build would be hitting PartnerNet (the Xbox Live for special debug units), we all got really, really excited. The result was a little bittersweet at this point. The online play is pretty laggy, but there's no way that Capcom is close to unleashing this thing on the public, so we're holding our breath for some improvements. I personally had some difficulty getting a hold of the controls, as the flaws of the 360's d-pad become very apparent very quickly, and the analog still feels a little loose. Hopefully, the bars on the sides of the screen can be changed to black, as they were in Street Fighter Alpha Max on PSP. Will figured that out, but I didn't have time since I was immediately thrust into pwnage as soon as the download finished. I like the way that the Achievements have been distributed, though. With emphasis on both basic single-player kudos and rewards for loyal online players, this one should be 250 points to earn and cherish.

Will: I think that Sterling and Miguel both touched on the game's roughest spot so far: the online play. To be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much, as pretty much every fighting game I've ever played has sucked online. It's not unplayable by any means (save for the occasional freeze-ups), but it's far from an optimal experience. We actually asked Capcom about it, and they mentioned that it's still a work-in-progress and that they'll be upgrading the code frequently until it's juuuust right. Hopefully they'll be able to pull it off. One thing that did impress me about the online, however, was the ability to play in "Quarter Mode," which allows players to line up to take on the match's winner, just like in the arcade. There seems to be some pretty robust stat tracking, too, although there are not enough people online to see how well it actually works. Oh well, at least the offline head-to-head action was as good as ever... wasn't it?

Miguel: Yeah, it's hard to hate on the offline mode, but you know… it isn't really that special given the fact that we've playing Street Fighter II with a person standing next to us for a long time now. I'm saying it now: I want a good online fighting game experience. Why has this never happened? Why can first-person shooters play brilliantly online, but not fighting games? I'm sure there is a legitimate technical reason for this, but I have no idea what it is. I'm just hoping that Capcom or Microsoft or whoever can finally make it happen. The Capcom vs. SNK games on Xbox were pretty shaky as far as the online experience goes. Ditto with the DOA games. This madness has to end. But yeah, anyway, it's fun to mash on your friends in the same room, as it has been for many, many years. But I can already do that. Please, Capcom and Microsoft, make sure this goes down smoothly.

Justin "Crouching Guile" Speer, Associate Console Editor: As someone who's always ready to go a few rounds anytime someone mentions Street Fighter, a working online version of Hyper Fighting is definitely the kind of thing I'd throw down a few bucks for. Aside from it being a great game, and the fact that fighting games these days ain't what they used to be (as much as I respect Guilty Gear and modern 3D fighters like Soul Calibur), I honestly miss the arcade experience of my youth -- which often involved me talking smack to guys twice as old and three times as big as me after sending their post-pubescent butts back to the change machine. Being able to actively share the nostalgia as opposed to having an overpriced game "collection" lying around gathering dust makes a lot of sense to me. And hey, downloadable arcade games could be just the thing to pass the time until the "next-generation" of gaming gets off its ass and gives me something new and different.

Gerald "Used to Play Street Fighter with his Feet" Villoria, Associate Console Editor: Justin makes a lot of sense for someone who hates games. Street Fighter II is my second favorite video game of all time, behind World of Warcraft. So I was jumping out of my seat with excitement at the idea of having an arcade-perfect translation of Hyper Fighting that I could load up for some heated competition from the comfort of my living room. But as is far too often the case, when nostalgia and reality meet, the results can be disappointing. It's hard to pin down exactly what I wasn't happy with. My fond memories of Hyper Fighting are vivid, and the game holds up remarkably well after all this time. Perhaps it was my struggles with the Xbox 360 controller -- this game really needs an arcade stick or six-button pad to be played to its fullest. While I found that it was still fun to throw down for a few rounds, the simpler days of Street Fighter are hard to defend when the Alpha series offers a far deeper and more satisfying game. Latency issues aside -- and I'm quite confident they'll be cleared up when this is made available to the public -- the most exciting aspect of this Xbox Live exclusive release for me is the idea that Capcom is testing the waters, and we'll see more faithful arcade-to-Xbox 360 translations coming to us if this experiment does well.

Sterling: Well, again, Capcom has mentioned that they're going to keep the updates coming. I'm confident that they wouldn't shoot themselves in the foot, especially with something this potentially huge. I think, though, that there's still nothing wrong with couch warfare, because I don't have a copy of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, and I don't believe it's on the BC list yet (please, someone, make this happen, too; I needs mah 3rd Strike). All around, issues aside, I think that this sets a strong precedent for what we're going to see out of Xbox Live Arcade over the rest of this year. As time goes on, we're going to see certain high-profile downloadable titles get the same fanfare that a sixty-dollar title will get. I, for one, am very excited for Lumines Live, as I considered Lumines one of the reasons to get a PSP last year. Plus, it's another line in the sand as to what we're referring to as next-gen transitions into current-gen over the next year. We didn't hear much about Nintendo's Virtual Console for Wii during E3 (which disappointed me, personally), and we can only hope that Sony's got something up their sleeves in their line of defending charging a month's rent (if not more, for the average person) for their console. Street Fighter II on XBLA is the opening salvo for Microsoft, due to its high profile.

There you have it, our thoughts on the upcoming downloadable version of Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. There were some things we liked, some we didn't like, and some stuff we're just not sure about yet. Will the online play be fixed? Will we ever feel more comfortable with the controls? Can any of us beat Miguel when he's constantly spinning back and forth across the screen with M. Bison? Only time will tell.

New Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting Screenshots

By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"
Last night, Capcom released a preview version of Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting on the Xbox 360 PartnerNet. Today, we bring you a bunch of new screenshots taken from that build.

Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting is Capcom's first title for Xbox Live Arcade. In addition to several offline modes and numerous leaderboards and achievements, the game takes advantage of the new online features of Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the console's powerful processing capabilities to create a seamless online multiplayer experience.

Among several online game options is an exclusive mode called "Quarter Match", which introduces a new way of relivingthe exhilarating arcade experience at home.

Capcom Makes Bank...

Profits are way up for the Japanese company in spite of disappointing western sales.
by Daemon Hatfield IGN

May 23, 2006 - Capcom has released its worldwide financial results for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2006, demonstrating a 91.6% profit increase over its results for the same period in 2005; approximately $62 million, up from $32 million.

"The video game industry experienced a favorable growth in general while it was going through the period of 'generational shift'…" said Capcom's financial report, contradicting many other companies that are seeing less rosy results in the transition. "One of the major contributors for the growth was the new portable game consoles which generated a buzz in the market and played a central role in the diversification of the customer base by attracting female and novice game players."

Examples cited of strong-selling Capcom titles on portable systems include Mega Man Battle Network 6 for the Game Boy Advance and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo DS. On the home console front, Capcom cited both Resident Evil 4 and Monster Hunter 2 as its key sellers, while admitting that Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Without Warning and Beatdown did not reach projected sales figures, with the Western market being particularly stubborn for the company.

Capcom's financial success comes in spite of profits falling a profound 87.9% percent in the U.S. market, with sales down 18.3%. And profit was down 89.6% in the European market, even though sales were up 9.3% over the pond. The company confirmed that its Bay Area-based Capcom Studio 8 developer has closed its doors, and that it is in the process of closing Capcom Eurosoft, which was responsible for distributing games in Europe.

The company noted that the current lines of market share have the potential to be completely redrawn during this transition into next-generation gaming.

Street Fighter XBL Details Coming...

Gamers can expect a release date in the "near future."
by Patrick Klepek

Rumors story. started circulating around the Internet recently Capcom had penciled in June 10th as the date for Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting's Xbox Live debut, but Capcom confirmed today the aforementioned date was likely based upon old scheduling.
The talk originated from a scan of the Official Xbox Magazine containing a calendared list of Xbox Live events happening next month. Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting was listed on June 10th, causing many to wonder if Capcom had finally nailed down a release date for their highly anticipated online fighter.

Turns out we'll have to wait a little longer, though. When pressed, Capcom representative Alicia Kim teased us and said to expect a release date announcement "sometime in the near future."

CAPCOM PACKS A PUNCH WITH STREET FIGHTER ALPHA ANTHOLOGY

-Five Prized Fighters United for First Time-

E 3 , LOS ANGELES ¾ May 10, 2006 — Capcom today showcased Street Fighter ® Alpha Anthology for the PlayStation â 2 computer entertainment system, a monumental compilation of the Street Fighter ® Alpha series. The collection features direct conversions of Street Fighter ® Alpha, Street Fighter ® Alpha 2, Street Fighter ® Alpha 2 Gold and Street Fighter ® Alpha 3 which have never before been available together in one package . As an added bonus, the “pint-sized” Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix (also released on consoles as Pocket Fighter ® ), is included which brings the total to five action packed games on one disc. Street Fighter Alpha Anthology is scheduled for release throughout North America in June 2006. To date, the Street Fighter franchise has sold more than 27 million units worldwide.

All titles in the collection feature three core gameplay options. Arcade mode pits competitors against a series of CPU controlled opponents in order to beat the game. Versus mode allows two players to choose among the cast of characters for intense head-to-head battles. Fighters can practice special moves and combos to hone their skills in the training mode. Additionally, all four Alpha titles feature survival mode as well as a dramatic battle mode which allows 2-on-1 tag team matches.

Street Fighter Alpha brings together a cast of 13 characters from the collective Street Fighter universe. The series' inaugural title introduces super combos and alpha counters to add a new dimension to fighting. Street Fighter Alpha 2 ups the ante with 18 fighters and several new options including high and low Alpha counters as well as more moves and combos for each character. In addition, the second title launches the Custom Combo system which lets players use up a super meter to perform devastating multi-hit combos. Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold is an enhanced version of the previous game featuring different versions of some of the characters. The most robust entry, Street Fighter Alpha 3, includes an unprecedented 25 characters and offers players the choice of three “isms” fighting styles made popular in previous Street Fighter games. Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix rounds out the anthology with miniature versions of popular Capcom fighters in fierce battles. Combatants vie to collect power-up gems as they perform an array of special attacks and powerful combos.

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. Founded in 1983, the company has created world renowned franchises including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Viewtiful Joe, Devil May Cry and the Onimusha series. Headquartered in Osaka , Japan , the company maintains operations in the U.S. , United Kingdom , Germany , Tokyo and Hong Kong . More information about Street Fighter, Capcom and its products can be found on the company's web site at www.capcom.com or www.capcom.com/streetfighter/

Screen Shots:

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Strech Video

My trip to E3

Thanks to my Brother's friend, I got to go for the first time to E3. I had a blast even though it was just for one day, hopefully next year I can go all 3 days, even 2 days would be awesome.

I played both Capcom Classic Collections and Alpha Anthology, Their very fun to play, I really hope Capcom makes Alpha Anthology for my Xbox!

Anyways here are some pictures I took, enjoy:

E3 2006: Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2

by Robert Workman

Well, it's been rumored for some time, but yesterday, Capcom officially announced Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Better yet, today we had some hands-on time with it, as well as a better look at the titles that will be included.


This looks to be a "clean-up" chapter, with a lot of games that didn't make the cut in the first chapter appearing here. Stuff like Strider, Black Tiger, Magic Sword, Street Fighter, and recent CCC Reloaded additions like Knights of the Round and King of Dragons. Don't worry, though- the collection is still quite good, and the game will still have plenty of bonus content to discover and unlock with each completion.


The two games we tried out on the floor were Strider and Street Fighter, and both emulated just right, like their arcade games before them. Strider was ripping up building sides with ease and slashing away at enemies with his trademark blade while Street Fighter offered pedestrian-level brawling, complete with accidental pull-offs of fireballs. How'd I do that again?


Digital Eclipse is doing great work with this series, and this game looks to be no exception. It looks to also have a value price upon its release of a meager $20- not bad at all. Look for it to surface later this year.

SDCC Exclusive Master Gouken!

SOTA Toys and Toyrocket.com are joining forces to bring a new Street Fighter character to the world of super-articulated action figures, Ryu and Ken's Sensei, Master Gouken!

At San Diego Comic-Con 2006, SOTA Toys will offer the Exclusive Gouken with "Battle Cry" head and Toyrocket.com will offer the Exclusive Gouken with standard head. The SOTA Gouken will come with translucent "Shoryuken" accessory and the Toyrocket.com Gouken comes with translucent "Hadouken" accessory. The Gouken action figures stand in 7-inch scale with all of the SOTA Street Fighter action figures and feature over 30 points of articulation and the best sculpts available in an action figure.

Each San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Gouken action figure is limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide and will be retailing at the convention for $20 each. Visit the SOTA Toys booth for the "Battle Cry" Gouken and the Toyrocket.com booth for the Standard Gouken.

Please note that pics below are mock-ups.






This is totally awesome! Thanks Sota for making this!

Pre-E3 2006: Super Puzzle Fighter II

Capcom's puzzler sets its sparkles on the smallest screen.
by Levi Buchanan

May 1, 2006 - Super Puzzle Fighter II isn't as well known as Tetris, but Capcom's puzzler has just as dedicated of a fan base. The gem-dropping puzzle game, flanked with cameo appearance by heroes from both the Street Fighter and Darkstalkers franchises, is a perfect candidate for the mobile treatment. And if a recent play-through of an early build is any indication of the final product, the series' fans -- which have honed their skills in the arcades, on the Saturn and PSone -- will have a new outlet for their obsession.



The mobile Super Puzzle Fighter II introduces a network play option for head-to-head competitions against human opponents. I gave this feature a try in a visit with the good folks at Capcom's mobile division. The game doesn't necessarily match you up directly against each other at the same time -- that would be extremely tough to pull off (especially since Capcom is aiming for cross-carrier play). Instead, a session is divided up into three 90-second segments. During the first third, you are just trying to create giant jewel blocks and then banish them with special drops. The game catalogs your moves and then drops combo bombs on your opponent in the next third of the game. By the final third, so much garbage has been stored up, the game turns freakishly frantic.

I played several games during the test time -- believe me, it works quite well. My opponent and I were sacking each other with huge drops right up until the end -- the game is quite clever about dumping them on you at just the right (or wrong) moment. Between each third and at the end of the final segment, the game tallies your score, penalizes you for every time you filled up the screen and had to restart your well, and then declares a winner via a nice little animation.

The mobile edition of Super Puzzle Fighter II features several well-known faces, including Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, Felicia, and Donovan. Every character has animations and individual drop patterns.

Super Puzzle Fighter II is skedded to debut in June. Peek at these new screens and be sure to check back for a full review.

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS

The NeoGeo Pocket Color card game's hitting the dual-screen handheld. First details.
by Craig Harris

May 1, 2006 - One of the best games released on the classic NeoGeo Pocket Color handheld system of a half-decade ago is about to be revived for a new generation of portable gamers. SNK Playmore is about ready to unleash SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS for the dual screen Nintendo handheld system. The company's given us a first look at the game before its debut at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo next week.



Like the original game released on the NeoGeo Pocket Color, SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS is a card battling game featuring characters from both company's universes. Players do battle with decks of cards that have familiar folk like Street Fighter's Guile, Chun Li, Ken, Ryu, and others, as well as fighters from SNK games such as Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters, and Fatal Fury.

The Nintendo DS version of the game will feature touch-screen control to make it easy to select and sort earned cards and battle with opponents, as well as maneuver through the game's competition structure. Expect the Nintendo DS system's wireless capabilities to come into play to enable multiple players to trade and compete against each other.

Hit the media link below to check out the first screenshots of SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS. We'll have more on the game as we get closer to next week's big show.