Joystiq

Rumor: New Marvel vs. Capcom game may be coming 'sooner than you think'

Griffin McElroy — 2008-07-26T12:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Fighting

Though we imagine there are those who will find this rumor too inconclusive and uninformative, anyone who has ever experienced the visceral thrill of watching Mega Man beat the mutant gene out of X-Men's resident pansy, Scott Summers, should appreciate even the slightest glimmer of hope for an encore Cyclops massacre. When asked at San Diego Comic Con 08 if a new Marvel vs. Capcom game was a distinct possibility, Marvel Studios' President of Production, Kevin Feige, slyly answered, "Yes. And maybe sooner than you think."

With two days of cosplaying goodness remaining at Comic Con, could Feige have been hinting at a big reveal still to come during the event? Perhaps, though considering Marvel's main panel took place on Thursday, it's somewhat unlikely. If a new Marvel vs. Capcom title is approaching as swiftly as Feige suggests, though, we're sure to hear something more concrete from one of the two companies involved sometime soon.

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Joystiq E3 impressions: This is Vegas

Mike Schramm — 2008-07-16T02:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Features, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, E3

We'll make a promise to you: not once in this preview will we reference the "Things that occur in Vegas" advertising slogan that seems to pop up every time someone mentions the mecca of mischievousness in the middle of Nevada. Except for that one time. No more.

This is Vegas is a game dreamed up by an assistant. Senior Associate Producer Trevor Ellington told us the real story behind the Sin City-based open-world humor game: an executive assistant at Midway came up with the idea of a game that replicated all of the wild fun to be had in Vegas, and thus was born TiV. During the demo we saw here at E3, the game presented four various scenarios: Fight, Party, Game, Drive, but by the time the game is released in 2009, they'll all be melded into what's supposed to be a sandbox of a good time.
First up, we saw the "Fight" scenario -- the main character (t-shirt dude) stands outside a replica of Caesar's Palace in front of a wrecked car. Apparently, he's responsible for the wreck, but it's not his car, and the car's owner and buddies are unhappy, so a fight ensues.

Immediately, the unique look and feel of This is Vegas jumps off the screen -- Elkington says that Surreal didn't want to make "the same old brown and gray" world as other games, and it's apparent that the art designers at the company have been earning their keep: everything is neon and shiny, and the HUD is as flashy as the casinos and people that populate the games background, as orange swirls and spirals curl their way across the screen every time an objective is met or given. Even during gameplay, the game has a kind of a magic feel to it -- every punch throws out sparks when it lands, and when a character is defeated, their casino chips fly out in a burst of color and roll across the sidewalk.

After our protagonist dispatches the annoyed car owners (pressing LB after building up a "buzz meter" provides a satisfying uppercut knockout cutscene), the other side of the game appears: the humor. Instead of security guards, mascots burst out of the casino to attack, and the sight of our guy beating up someone in a Burger King costume elicits a chuckle. It's not laugh-out loud funny, but it's not bad. But there is a glimpse of better humor -- after a while, the character is joined by a fighting minion named "Frankie" (a familiar face in Vegas -- "we did a lot of research in Vegas," says Elkington, "it was a tough job, but someone had to do it"), who spouts out a dead-on voice impersonation. When the virtual Ol' Blue Eyes calls a baddie "ya mook," it's actually pretty funny.

Next up is the gambling demo, and surprisingly, it's the most boring thing we see. Elkington says Surreal wanted to take out "the boring parts" of gambling, and so they've implemented an "advantage system", i.e. "cheating." Instead of playing Blackjack straight, you can press B to see hidden marks on the cards on certain dealers, but do it too much, and you'll activate your "suspicion meter," which will get you thrown out of the club. We'd think there's enough suspense in wondering whether to hit or stay on 16, but not so: though you can play the games without all the flash, it seems like Elkington doesn't think you'd want to. The other disappointment is that there will only be three casino games in the released version: blackjack, slots, and hold 'em. Not that those aren't great games, but the real beauty of Vegas is that you can bet on anything, and This is Vegas looks like it might fall flat on that one.

Finally, we saw a "Party" scenario -- our hero showed up at a club, and was asked by the hottie DJ to get the place hoping. He does this through a series of minigames -- there's a bartending game, which works like a more advanced version of Tapper, where you need to switch back and forth between a few spots pouring beers, lighting cigarettes, and serving cocktails, and a rhythm combo game on the dance floor. It's simple stuff, but there's enough flash and chaos to it to be interesting, and each of the minigames earn you points toward the larger goal of the mission.

This is Vegas is worth checking out (it comes out next year for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC) in that it tries to do something different with the now-classic Grand Theft Auto premise -- instead of running around a dirty city and killing mobsters in cars, you're running around a shiny city and trying to cheat them at parties. It has a very unique and stylish look which works very well, but for all of its Vegas-y charm (there's a parody Strip in the game -- the Luxor pyramid has turned into a Mayan pyramid, and Caesar's has become Olympic Palace), it seems a little light on the thing that make Vegas the most fun: the gambling.

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Castlevania Judgment screens beg to be judged

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-09T20:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Fighting

Konami has released a triple-shot boomerang's worth of screenshots from its unorthodox take on Castlevania for the Wii, which promises to take the long running vampire hunt in a decidedly punchy direction. As great as it is to see the Belmont clan stretch their arms (and wings, and whips), with previous 3D Castlevania's driving a stake deep into the heart of "meh," it's impossible to feel anything beyond cautious optimism for Konami's latest experiment.

So what say you? Do these shots whip you into a frenzy for Castlevania Judgment, or simply douse your few remaining hearts in holy water?

Gallery: Castlevania Judgment

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Soul Calibur IV gameplay video dump

Griffin McElroy — 2008-06-07T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

In addition to yesterday's cinematic trailer, which gave us a fantastic look at the game's three combatants from a galaxy far, far away, a plethora of gameplay videos for Soul Calibur IV also recently made their way into GameTrailer's expansive archives. Other than the addition of a few new characters and a graphical overhaul, it's tough to pick out any changes that Namco Bandai has incorporated into their armament-rich fighting franchise -- we suppose the Soul Calibur series has adopted the official mantra of the fighting genre: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The above preview and those embedded after the jump certainly don't look broken, and have imbued in us an insatiable hunger for well-timed counters, guard impacts, and incredibly overdramatic dialogue.

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We've got Faith No More in the new Street Fighter IV trailer

Griffin McElroy — 2008-06-01T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

The font of incredible trailers continues to pour from the bounteous spigot of CAPtivate '08 -- the above trailer for Street Fighter IV went live rather subtly last night, only to deliver a patented E. Honda "thousand hand bitch slap" to our unprepared senses this Sunday morning. It even includes one of our favorite songs to sing from Rock Band: Faith No More's "Epic". We don't know why seeing Blanka go all sparky to the disjointed vocals of Mike Patton gets us so hyped, but our excitement for the revivification of what many would argue is the greatest arcade fighting series ever has just increased tenfold.

However, it should be noted that depending on your feelings towards Gamestop and their pre-order policies, you may view the last seven seconds of this righteous trailer as being decidedly un-epic.

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Does Smash Bros. Brawl merit a Teen rating?

Griffin McElroy — 2008-03-15T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Fighting

We've all had a week to "FALCON PUNCH!" our way through the Wii's latest mega-anticipated title, scrambling for an innumerable amount of Smash Balls and mastering our technique with the subtly complex Jigglypuff, but in our excitement, we can't forget that group who is unable to join the Super Smash Bros. Brawl parade -- we speak, of course, of the twelve-and-under crowd, who are excluded from the party due to the game's Teen rating from the ESRB.

A blogger for San Jose's Mercury News recently called the mildly restrictive rating into question, claiming that the "crude humor" and "cartoon violence" present in the game is comparable to any number of children's TV shows. While we're usually not ones to disagree with North America's most esteemed game graders, we can't help but see where he's coming from.

What do you think about the rating -- is it completely unmerited, or does the game really run the risk of inspiring youngsters to attack one another with trophies and hammers?

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Joystiq hands-on: Street Fighter II HD (XBLA/PSN)

Zack Stern — 2008-03-13T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting, Online, Galleries

I'm not a Street Fighter fanatic, but I've enjoyed the series over the years. So with this casual approach, I recently tried the XBLA beta of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, available soon to buyers of Commando 3 on XBLA. The full version will be out this Summer for that system and PSN.

Frankly, I don't even remember which character I played. It doesn't help that my only choices were Ken and Ryu, who have nearly the same moves. My helpful opponent reminded me how to do some of the special attacks; I was far out of practice on the Hurricane Kick, but I could throw fireballs right away.

Gallery: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Our widescreen fights looked crisp and perfectly redrawn, but I didn't spend much time taking in the visuals. Instead, I used the stick and six buttons to try to attack, defend, and counter-attack. And from my laid-back style -- I call it "shrugging panda" -- it felt good. I always thought Street Fighter captured this back-and-forth dance better than most fighting games.

The fights alternated between standard and rebalanced modes, but I didn't notice a clear difference in that moment. I'm sure that gamers who remember all of the attacks will be able to tell. In my handful of matches, I was content to just walk through the steps with an old, familiar partner. Sure, she's had some work done, but Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix comes out feeling timeless.

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Nega-review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Kyle Orland — 2008-03-10T11:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Retro, Nintendo Wii, Fighting

"Super Smash Bros. Brawl isn't a giant leap forward from Super Smash Bros. Melee." (9) "Repetition is Brawl's ... real crime." (2) The "beat-em-up gameplay [is] relatively unchanged" (3) -- "returning to your stock franchises ... shackles you to old ways." (2) "This game was made for Nintendo fans. ... For the uninterested gamer, it's a curious diversion." (7)

"Subspace Emissary is boring. There, we said it." (8) "The storyline itself seems almost randomly compiled - a pieced together jigsaw puzzle of different factions coming together." (1) No, "there's not much rhyme or reason to the plot" (3) -- "it's a narrative mish-mash and bloated as hell." (2) "Most the time, you don't know what's going on. ... We find the complete lack of storytelling disturbing." (8)

"As a platformer, [Subspace Emissary] is not great." (2) "The fine-tuned jumping mechanics needed for platformers just aren't built into all of the Brawl characters, and shoehorning fighting game characters into action-adventure side-stories hasn't worked well since Tekken experimented with the same." (9) "Dull level design and unnecessarily tricksy warp door antics" (2) don't help, nor does "a seemingly random placement of Nintendo characters and newly designed enemy fodder." (1) "If this mode were a standalone game, it wouldn't rate very highly." (9) "The Subspace Emissary component ... is simply not as balanced or entertaining as the stages designed for multiple human opponents." (1)

Online, "voice chat is not an option ... and likely won't ever be, thanks to what must be the Japanese company's desire to create a safe environment for younger gamers." (9) Instead, "there's ... just a gimped text system that uses a paltry four pre-written messages." (1) "Real-time chat would've been excellent here, especially when passing along a post-Brawl victory speech or grumbling in defeat. " (5) "Nintendo's attempt to protect us from child molesters is appreciated, but there are other alternatives to protecting the children (not to mention us)." (8)

"The same complaint can be applied to the fact that Brawl uses Friend Codes, one of Nintendo's most-hated inventions." (8) "You have to go through the trouble of entering Friend Codes in order to enlist new competition" (5) and "for more control over your matches." (7) "If you're playing against random opponents, you won't even see their names or be able to communicate with them at all" (1) -- "you won't be able to get together again after a well-played match, for example. ... It's an online system that ends up feeling very much like playing against computer-controlled opponents, as it's all very faceless and impersonal." (9) What's more, "there's no online leader board or statistic tracking," (1) and "when playing with random people over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, you can't play with multiple people on your console." (8)

"The graphics definitely lack detail in areas." (1) "The game has a slightly washed-out look, for example, and many of the cut-scenes are overcompressed." (8) "Many of the backgrounds are kept very simple in an effort to the keep the framerate up" (1) -- they're definitely "sometimes lacking detail and the graphical quality." (8) "Character animations, while speedy, typically ignore the laws of physics, weight, and momentum." (1) "Meanwhile, when it comes to character models, certain characters have been given obvious special treatment. ... Moreover, the game has aliasing problems up the wazoo - especially on HDTVs." (8)

"You'd be hard-pressed to tell this game apart from its GameCube predecessor when viewed side-by-side." (9) The game has "not-much-better-than-the-last-one graphics" (7) and "the overall appearance of the game does seem a little bit like Melee 1.5." (5) "From a visual standpoint, Brawl doesn't look much better than Super Smash Bros. Melee did on the GameCube." (9) "Yeah, the graphics don't really go too far forward." (5)

"Controls are an issue, too." (2) "It must be noted that Brawl is not well-suited to a standalone Wii remote." (1) "The D-pad is no match for an analogue stick and the button-starved design means that no matter how you calibrate, a key action will be relegated to the unreachable minus button." (2) Non-GameCube pads "ultimately don't offer the quickest response time" (4) and "the lack of a second analogue stick removes quick access to smash attacks." (2)

"A bloated cast ... struggles to hide the basic character types each fighter boils down to." (2) "The similarities between Fox McCloud and Falco, for example, are so great I had a hard time telling them apart." (4) "Signature moves aside, it's hard to see where Dedede differs from Bowser, and if Link, Ike and Pit weren't programmed by the same guy, we'll eat our sword flurry." (2) That said, "we'd be liars if we suggested we weren't disappointed that even more third-party character crossovers weren't introduced." (1) "We can't help but wish there were more where they came from." (9) "Yes, we could use more characters in the roster." (1)

Welcome, Nintendo fans and haters alike, to the latest Joystiq Nega-review. Like all Nega-reviews, this one compiles negative quotes from otherwise glowing reviews and arranges them into a wholly scathing whole. While some judicious snipping may have removed the positive caveats from some of these quotes, the inherent meaning of each remains unchanged -- all these quotes were meant as a negative in the original review.

This Nega-review could have almost been two full-length Nega-reviews --- one that focused solely on Subspace Emissary and one that focused solely on online issues. As it stands, there were plenty of unused quotes about the extreme reviewer annoyance with each. That said, there was barely a complaint to be had about the local multiplayer gameplay, which has always been the Smash Bros. bread and butter. So enough reading about the bad parts -- invite a few friends over and enjoy the good parts already!

Sources
(1) IGN
(2) NGamer
(3) GameTap
(4) GamePro
(5) GameDaily
(6) GameSpot
(7) 1UP
(8) Kombo
(9) GameSpy

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GDC08: King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match headed to PS2

JC Fletcher — 2008-02-21T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Retro

While I was at SNK's demo checking out various compilations and Metal Slug 7, I also saw a remade version of King of Fighters '98 called Ultimate Match. Like Metal Slug 7, this was a surprise. Ultimate Match is a remake of the popular KOF '98 with cleaned-up graphics and ten added characters. Since '98 is a "dream match" game (meaning it discarded the series' storyline in favor of just putting a bunch of characters in the game), it already had a huge roster, but it's been upped to 64 characters. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stare at the character selection screen long enough to get who was new!

The original King of Fighters '98 is already coming to the PS2 (and PSP and Wii) on the King of Fighters: Orochi Saga collection, but in case you really like the game -- which most fans of the series do -- this is the version to get. It does include the original in addition to the remake. This is expected to release in Q4 of this year.

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GDC08: Super Smash Bros. Brawl: played it.

JC Fletcher — 2008-02-21T02:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

So there's this fighting game coming out, and it's got, like, a bunch of Nintendo characters in it? They all fight each other in these wacky game-inspired stages, and there are items and things like that. It's called -- let me check my notes -- Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

I played it. I was lucky enough to have a friend who was holding a tournament for all the volunteers, which meant that my non-volunteer self was able to sign up and play a round (or more if I hadn't choked). If you're interested in hearing about this obscure indie title from an up-and-coming company called Nintendo, check out my post at Wii Fanboy.

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First Super Street Fighter II HD Remix video is underwhelming

Justin McElroy — 2007-10-19T14:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

So this is a fun lesson in how to handle your Super Street Fighter II HD Remix marketing campaign. Putting out a bunch of really sexy, high-def images of your characters is a great start. Following it up with great pictures of stages is just as good. But when things are going that well, don't let your first video be an ugly, poorly-lit shaky cam clip.

Here's a thought: What about capturing from the actual game? Sure, it's a few more wires to plug in, but isn't it worth it? See, when the whole point of your game is that it looks purty, you probably want a video that makes it look ... you know ... purty. As far as what we can see in this clip ... well, it looks like Street Fighter.

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Joystiq hands-on: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Zack Stern — 2007-10-12T04:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Fighting, Online, Peripherals, Galleries

Hello, I'm Zack, and I had never played Smash Bros. until today. I don't know if that should be a confession or proclamation. Let it be both. Let the flaming begin.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl felt frenetic. To me, it seemed like too much was happening on-screen to play with precision. But apparently people wring ever moment of control out of this fast-paced game. Just not the first time they play.

In my games, Brawl always had a lot going on. A power-up poured out 2D sprites lifted directly from Advance Wars. Another caused a Nintendog to briefly paw playfully at the screen, for no reason other than to annoy us. I just laughed at the puppy as I was knocked off the platform to my loss.

I like my fighting games with more of an immediate sense of cause-and-effect and without this power-up focus. But I could see the appeal of Brawl. It had so much happening that I was always entertained. And the sense of humor and strangeness -- Mario versus Sonic in a fighting game -- also hooked me.

Gallery: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

At Nintendo's press event, my fellow journalists were most excited about trying the controls. We were able to play with the Wii Remote by itself (encased in its silicon shell), or with the Classic Controller. The Wii Remote, held like an NES pad, felt simpler initially. But executing all of the moves required more complicated button combinations, like B with an attack button to grab.

Even I wanted more options, quickly opting for the Classic Controller and its additional dedicated buttons. With that pad, Brawl plays almost the same as on Smash Bros. the GameCube. (Note that GameCube controllers will also work with Brawl natively.) I tried the right analog-stick for smash attacks and began to appreciate the chaotic pace.

Nintendo stressed that Brawl will have fully customizable controls that will be saved to user profiles. Even such annoying Brawl conventions as pushing up to jump will be able to be remapped however a player wants. This feature wasn't demonstrated, but Nintendo imagines that expert players will craft crazy schemes that may give a small advantage.

I thought the actual gameplay held a light tone, which was good with its constant chaos. Power-ups were comical and damaging. And the deep Nintendo references, like a perfectly pastel Yoshi's Island level, kept me amused.

I'm looking forward to playing more Brawl to see what the Smash Bros. fuss is about. Our one-system, four-player matches were fun, and gamers will be able to connect four-player games online, too. (Some sort of online, user-generated content sharing was also mentioned, although Nintendo gave no specific details.)

Maybe I'll find depth within the Smash Bros. pace after the February 10, 2008 release. But even if I never get full control over the fighting, I'm sure the surreal design will keep me engaged.

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Meet Tekken 6's new fatty: Bob

Justin McElroy — 2007-08-29T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Sony PlayStation 3, Fighting

You kind of have to feel bad for new Tekken 6 fighter "Bob," seen here in a new photo from Japanese Arcadia magazine. Maybe he's always thought of himself as "the guy with curly blond hair" or "the guy who always wears suspenders" or "the guy with the completely unremarkable name." But put against Tekken's crew of hard bodies, Bob is and always will be "the fat one."

Apparently, that's all part of the plan. According to the magazine, Bob used to buy into to myth of conventional beauty, but he got frustrated by how his size limited him. So ... he got super fat. No, it doesn't make a ton of sense to us either, but what do you want? It's Tekken.

[Via CVG]

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Xbox 360's Virtua Fighter 5 to feature online play

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2007-07-06T12:50:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

Sega of America and Sega Europe have announced that the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Virtua Fighter 5 will indeed allow you to transfer your violent impulses to a complete stranger on the internet. Scheduled for a release in Autumn 2007, the game will feature an online two-player versus mode via Xbox Live, leader boards and several other enhancements over February's PlayStation 3 edition. That's what we jokingly refer to as a "technical knockout."

If you don't usually extract satisfaction from pugilistic polygons, you might be wondering why Virtua Fighter 5 is held in such high regard. Well, the reason is... uh, there are lot of reasons! Very good ones, in fact. "For a lot of very good reasons, Virtua Fighter 5 is regarded as the deepest and most revered fighting game available on next generation consoles", says Gary Knight, the European marketing director for Sega Europe. "Bringing Virtua Fighter 5 to the Xbox 360 will not only capture an entirely new audience, but will allow gamers to show their Virtua Fighter skills online against friends and foes."

Your Virtua Fighters: let me show you them.

[Via Gamertag Radio]

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New Tekken 6 screenshots, artwork released

John Bardinelli — 2007-06-02T20:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

Just a few days ago we said hello to Miguel the matador, one of the new fighters in the upcoming Tekken 6. Now a whole host of screenshots have been released, showing both in-game stills and CG artwork, including a few gratuitous female underthings images! The first 17 pics in the gallery below are from the new batch of screens, while more can be found by clicking the "read" links below.

Three new characters have been confirmed for Tekken 6 along with a host of returning fighters, making this cast the largest in the series' history. Tekken 6 is heading to PS3 and arcade by the end of the year, and rumors say it will be released for Xbox 360 as well.

Gallery: Tekken 6

New Tekken 6 fighter -- Miguel the matador

John Bardinelli — 2007-05-26T10:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting

NeoGAF forum member neo2046 recently shared a number of scans from Japanese magazine Famitsu. The images show off Tekken 6, the highly anticipated fighting game from Namco coming to arcade and PS3 platforms and rumored to be headed to the Xbox 360. The scans unveil a new character, a ~~sexy~~ flamboyant matador by the name of Miguel. The belt and flowing shirt are all fine and well, but why does that pose remind us of Inigo Montoya?

The cast of Tekken 6 will be the largest of any Tekken game, implying that previous characters will return along with newbies such as Miguel. Confirmed new fighters also include Zafina and Leo, and Joystiq is lobbying to have our very own Ludwig Kietzmann included added to the team. Stay tuned.

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Playing Dirty: Going head to head in bed

Bonnie Ruberg — 2007-05-10T16:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, PC, Simulations

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

Like every good story, a good game needs a conflict. Sometimes the conflict is obvious (aliens are attacking Earth, you're trapped in a haunted mansion, someone is trying to kick your ass). Other times, it's less obvious (blocks are falling from the sky, the timer is running out, if you don't collect enough cherries you'll never get that bigger house). Whatever the conflict is though, the goal of the game is always the same: to resolve it. Maybe you kill the aliens, or kick his ass, or fit the blocks into perfect rows. The important thing is you win by overcoming conflict.

My question is this: What kind of conflict is there in a sex game?

First, let's talk about sex itself. What kind of conflicts does sex normally present us with? Well, there's the conflict of the chase, of finding a suitable partner and convincing him/her to jump into bed. For some people, that's definitely a challenge to overcome. Then there might be a moral conflict. Should you sleep with this particular someone, or shouldn't you? There's also the simple conflict of desire. You want something, and you have to do X, Y, and Z to get it.

Still, all those things have to do with the moments (or days, or weeks) before sex, not the sex act itself. We could definitely apply them to dating sims, or even online social "games" like Second Life. But what about sex sims and other sex-based games, which cut out the pre-moments entirely? Take Virtually Jenna, for example, a sex sim franchised with porn-star Jenna Jameson. There's no need to convince Jenna-or any of her sexy friends-that they should take off their clothes. Players jump straight into the action, where they've given total control.

Talking about control brings up another potential candidate for conflict: orgasm. Maybe the obstacle to overcome in sex is making someone (or yourself) come. There are certainly a number of games that take that approach, like Heather Kelley's Lapis, or a whole range of "poke the doll" flash games. Orgasm equals success.

But what if we look at sex itself as a conflict to be "won"? We could almost call it a symbolic kind of fighting. Maybe not in real life, but in our games, at least. What if we had sex games the same way we have fighting games, where participants with special skills would go head to head and battle it out... sexually. Would it work? Who knows. In that case, how would we even determine a winner? One interesting model to turn to might be a game like Lovechess: Ancient Egypt. Lovechess is just like normal chess, except that the "pieces" have sex to take each other off the board. Does being the penetrator mean you win? Or maybe the person who orgasms?

The idea of sexual conflict definitely goes against our normal understanding of sex. We associate sex with peace, with "making love not war." But maybe a little more conflict is just what our sex games need: to give them structure, purpose, and the sexiness of achieving a goal.

Bonnie Ruberg is a writer, researcher, and all around fangirl with a big crush on games. Find more of her work at The Village Voice, Gamasutra, The Onion A. V. Club, or her blog, Heroine Sheik. She can be reached at .

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Chalkboard fighters return with stop-motion video

John Bardinelli — 2007-05-03T10:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Fighting, Video

A couple of years ago, a group of students released a set of images depicting a Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat-esque fight sequence in front of a chalkboard. Now the team has released a stop-motion video utilizing over 3,000 photos and several hours of post-production effects. No chalk this time around, but the video game-meets-Dragonball Z-meets-real life theme is all there. Check out the video after the break.

[Via Insert Credit]

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Happy Street Fighter II music day

Kyle Orland — 2006-10-27T13:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Retro, Fighting

There's nothing like a good fighting game to let out your aggression in a safe, healthy manner. Of course, hearing the music from said game might bring out those aggressive impulses in an environment that isn't well suited to handle it.

Therefore, we here at Joystiq recommend you prepare for the following guitar renditions of Ken, Guile an Zangief's themes from Street Fighter II by finding the nearest arcade and/or video game console and loading it up a game that involves punching and kicking things repeatedly. Your housemates, classmates and/or co-workers will thank you for channeling your destructive impulses away from them and towards something more benign.

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Spectator sports: competitive MMOs

Jennie Lees — 2006-05-11T17:30:00+00:00

Filed under: E3, Competitive Gaming, MMO

NCsoft is trying to establish Guild Wars as a competitive game as well as a more casual MMO, but appealing to such a diverse audience isn't easy. However, the crowds gathering at NCsoft's booth to watch two hardcore Guild Wars PvP teams duke it out seemed to enjoy the show.

At this particular event, Team EvIL and Team PnH were going head to head. The commentator did an excellent job of both explaining the game and getting enthusiastic about the action. We're somewhat familiar with the Guild Wars mechanics, but the action was incomprehensible -- while it's fun to watch the truly skilled ply their trade, it's hard to follow the intricacies of MMO as a spectator.

Guild Wars introduced an observer mode last December, but we'd have to spend a lot of time watching before tournaments like this became easily accessible. On the other hand, watching the pretty colours flash by is relaxing amidst the buzz of E3.

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