Game Design, Gamer Culture, Star Wars
Fighting the Force: Video Game Fame vs. Cosplay Shame
Fighting games are undoubtedly a dying breed. Sad as it may be, a lack of snazzy new innovations seem to have trapped this genre of video game into a punch, kick and jump style of play. That’s not to say some titles don’t still keep your adrenaline pumping via thumb-blistering combos, but the days of fighting games leading a console’s sales are pretty much past. So, what should we do? Pout and wallow with our cartridge classics or Soul Calibur collector’s items? No, we must brainstorm new ideas to present to game designers! And I think I have just the remedy…
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another edition of Ben-talks-fighting-games. Only on the internet can a man like me have his thoughts heard on a subject he has no experience in creating, or relative success in playing. However, when it comes to picking characters to fight each other, I’m a natural. Don’t fight it. Let’s get ready to rumble!
With titles like Arcana Hearts and Battle Phantasia finding publication in North America, there’s a growing hope for fans that more doujin soft (independently made video games) and other Japanese fighting games might make their way stateside. Unlike in the States, fighters are still big business in Japan. Crack your knuckles, ’cause here’s a taste of the best of what you’ve been missing!
You’ve seen them before: Marvel vs. Capcom, Capcom vs. SNK, and now this, from a place where fictional universes collide comes another fighting game of mash-up mayhem: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Midway has kept the much-anticipated roster a secret, but this past week, only months away from the game’s release, they finally spilled the beans.
The year of the fighting game revival might have been 2008, but it looks to continue in 2009 with 3 releases from SNK Playmore and Ignition Entertainment. 
With the college semester drawing closer and being forced to drop our controllers for briefcases, who has any time for character advancement and talent points? If you crave that gaming fix, but simply cannot find more than 30 minutes to stuff it in your schedule, we have you covered. We have a small list of current and soon-to-be released games that will leave you feeling like you just exited a time machine. Fear not! These games do not compromise the gameplay or that social competition that you live by.