Enigmatic, amnesia and out to kick some ass.

Call me bitter, but the more info we get about Street Fighter IV, the more my emotions get all mixed up with skepticism and a compulsive desire to be cynical. It's out of place, I know — the game hasn't even hit stateside, no one here (besides Shane at EGM) has actually played it and I am cutting it down to size. Perhaps it's because the art style just REALLY just doesn't sit too well with me. Chun actually looks pretty cool (folks at the Capcom-Unity boards find her to be fugly, go fig) and the other classic SF2 crew look awesome too. Ryu and Ken? Eh - the jury is still out on those two. Those expressions… blech.

Anyways, getting back on track here, AOU just ended recently and Capcom revealed a new character in the SFIV cast. The brawler is Abel, describe as "a man without a past". (Hm, wasn't Q like that?). Reportedly he has a really bad case of amnesia and has been traveling throughout the world attempting to gather clues from the remaining members of Shadoloo. Was he some secret project created by Bison? Is he somehow linked to one of the classic SF2 characters? Most importantly — will his awkwardly sized feet get fixed when you defeat the final boss? Yeah, I said it — those feet are hideous. LOL. Peep these new screens and enjoy. I am off to enjoy a good 'ol game of Bomberman to get over my current jaded state. :p

Official site plays catch-up and makes up for it with a first look at unique battle system.

At the rate of all these Street Fighter IV updates, I may have to start making an index. Fans should be pleased to hear that the official Street Fighter IV site now has officially presented the screens which have already made their way to numerous online media outlets big and small. So why should you bother visiting? Well, for one, there's a new trailer showcasing the Saving system in action. Up till now, we've been given some light details from Ono, but this trailer gives visual proof which should help draw more constructive opinons.

Looking good guys, now can you treat us to some new stages? I am sure everyone else is very eager to see something other than the revamped Chun Li environment. :p

Tired of hopping from one site to another for all your Grand Theft Auto IV needs?

Well, even if you're answer is "no", Rockstar would certainly appreciate your patronage to the all-new launch of the GTIV website. Visitors can get their first glimpse into New York

Liberty City, revealing all the awesome points-of-interest, sounds and other appealing elements of the busy metropolis which the team has spent the past few years building.

I could go on, but PR is an actually a secondary skill of mine and I'd prefer to keep my editorial cap on and keep this post short 'n sweet. Just go visit the site and be sure to mark April 29 on your calendar, 'cuz that's when GTIV makes it grand debut in stores. Yes, I'll be picking it up too.

Guess who else is joining Ryu and Ken? 

Street Fighter IV seems to be shaping up to become a rebirth of the original SF2 classic, at least that's what many are being lead to believe with the recent reveal of more classic World Warriors. My guess is that even game development isn't safe from Hollywood insisting on doing reboots for anything and everything under the sun; but I digress. Earlier this week, Capcom revealed that Guile, Chun Li, Dhalsim, Blanka and Zangief will be making a return in the highly anticipated release.

We also know that there's word of some newer characters (i.e. Crimson Viper) which seem inspired by the SNK style which could totally change the dynamic veterans are used to. Judgment will be reserved until more players stateside have the chance to finally get some hand-on time with the arcade build. As for the story, well, the little which we know of it — a recent Gamespot interview with the producer Yoshinori Ono and Capcom's Director of Communications Chris Kramer hints that the alleged reason behind the classic characters returning might have something to do with a time parallel. No, I am serious and here's an excerpt of the proof from the "Street Fighter IV Q&A - Familiar Faces article…

"GS: When is the game's story set in Street Fighter chronology?

YO: Well, the [sequel] number has indeed ticked up one unit, but the story and time period is actually not after SFIII. This game actually takes place after SFII. Is it before SFIII? Does it represent some parallel timeline? I guess you'll have to wait and see…"

(Let's all do a collective "WTF?" God please no time parallels, that just sounds so cheesy)… 

Moving on, it looks like Famitsu has beat the rest of the general Japanese public and media to the punch as evidenced by new shots featured on their website. Below is just a small taste of what you'll find there including several close-up shots of the game played in a cabinet and (cleaner) official artwork scans of the aforementioned cast. Additional screens can be also found here.

Update: Gamespot has larger "high-res" screenshots available. Check them out here.

Be on the lookout for more reports to trickle out next week as the AOU 2008 kicks off on February 15 at the Makuhari Messe just outside Tokyo.

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Enjoy the first adventures for the first time (or all over again).

For those of you that prefer to indulge your gaming habits over paying bills with this year's tax refund, here's a quickie that shouldn't go unnoticed…

Konami has announced plans to release Metal Gear Solid: the Essential Collection, confirming recent speculation of a new commemorative package of the first three MGS installments for the PS2. The package will give newcomers and longtime fans the chance to (re) experience the whole saga before the release of MGS4: Gun of the Patriots.

"Since its inception, the Metal Gear Solid franchise has been one of the most successful game series in the history of video games, receiving worldwide recognition and praise," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment Inc.  "Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection represents a great value for gamers, bringing together three must-have classic titles which pioneered the stealth action genre."   
 

Contents will include the the original Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation game console, the director's cut of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 in a commemorative package with artwork by renowned Metal Gear Solid artist Yoji Shinkawa. I am hoping some added bonus goodies are included on a special CD to really give some added value to the package beyond the expected items; this IS supposed to be a special package after all, right?