2009 has a lot in store for fans of fighting games. As someone who has been known to throw down the occasional combo or two, I'm pretty excited. If you're wondering what the homeboys with the Sanwa sticks will be up to this year, the following should give you a quick rundown.
King of Fighters 98 Ultimate - PS2
Dropping just at the end of January, KoF98U will get the year off proper. For those of you not in the know, King of Fighters 98 is a "Dream Match" in the KoF series. Basically, every so many years SNK will break the continuity of the KoF storyline and offer players a chance to go all out using characters from previous games whether they were technically still participating (or in some cases, deceased!). While this might not sound like a big deal to players not familiar with SNK, you have to realize that they encompass three separate fighting franchises (Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, and King of Fighters) so they've got TONS of characters to draw upon. If you though Marvel vs. Capcom 2 had a roster, just wait until you get a look at this one. At $19.99 new for PS2, it's as much proof that the PS2 still has some life as it is proof the American dollar is still worth something.
Street Fighter IV - Multiplatform
I'm not sure exactly how to feel about SFIV, personally. On the one-hand I'd like to say it's about time...for a series that has had somewhere in the 'teens of iterations it's a little foolish that it's taken them so long to count to four. On the other I almost wish they'd spent more time dwelling on 3rd Strike, as it seems that IMHO Street Fighter IV will face its harshest comparison not from other games, but from its own predecessor. Whatever the case may be, Street Fighter IV lands this year, and the word of mouth is good. Whether Capcom can finally make the transition into a 3D engine after the monster fail of Street Fighter EX remains to be fully seen, but so far things are looking positive for the big C.
King of Fighters XII - Multiplatform
While Capcom can fuss with 3D models, there's only two planes for me: good ol' X and Y. SNK has never made a household name for their franchise the way Capcom has, but this could be the year that changes. The rivalry between the aforementioned SFIV and KoFXII will really color this year in gaming for me. In one corner we have the juggernaut, Street Fighter. Anyone and everyone is at least aware of it, and this year will see it stepping forward into the 3D ring while attempting to retain the 2D roots that have made it popular. Meanwhile, in the opposite corner we've got the underdog King of Fighters still fighting for that mainstream reputation, staying true to its origins and delivering an absolutely jaw-dropping hi-def 2D experience...every sprite and animation having been redrawn entirely by hand. With these two giants poised to go at it once again is there any room for a new challenger?
BlazBlue - ARC only (rumored PS3 exclusive release 4th quarter 2009)
ARC Systems seems to think there's room for one more in the ring, and I'm inclined to agree. While not a sequel to the popular Guilty Gear franchise, BlazBlue definitely shows the influences of ARC's previous 2D slash-fest. Featuring similar over-the-top anime character designs and tapping Guilty Gear's metal-maestro Daisuke Ishiwatari for its musical score, BlazBlue has all the makings of a knockout success for ARC. Personally, I've got my eye closest on this title most of all.
Arcana Heart 2 - JP Arc only (for now?)
If BlazBlue is a dark horse for 2009, Arcana Heart 2 is a headless horseman breaking through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man. The 2008 PS2 release of Arcana Heart was practically unnoticed by anyone but 2D fighting purists and Otaku fanboys. The former bought it to experience the insane juggles, smooth sprites, and amazing stage height. The latter probably noticed it because the entire roster is made up of stereotypically moe anime girls. Whatever the motivations, Arcana Heart was a niche success and Atlus is the king of capitalizing on limited-run cult titles in the 'States...so I'd say the chances of us seeing another effort from the series sometime are good. The question is, can American fighting fans learn to take a bunch of schoolgirls beating the crap out of each other seriously?
OneChanbara Bikini Samurai Squad - Xbox360
I...uhh...well it does have some fighting in it. Probably. Somewhere. Let's just move on.
Fight Night Round 4 - Multiplatform
Fight Night Round 3 deserves a spot in any well-rounded list of the best fighting games. While not featuring combo's in the sense that 2D fighting fans are used to, it's none the less one of the most intense experiences two gamers can have pounding the snot out of each other. It's long overdue, but finally confirmation of a Fight Night Round 4 has surfaced and we can only hope it lands a haymaker sometime in 2009. After a string of boxing-related failures (Showtime and Don King, I'm looking at you two) the world needs another Fight Night.
Soul Eater Battle Resonance - JP PS2/PSP
In a similar vein to the Naruto and Bleach fighting games, the recently liscensed-for-USA anime "Soul Eater" has a brace of fighting games coming out around the end of January in Japan. Being a fan of the animated series myself, I expect kids will eat this show up once it fully arrives on our shores and the licensed games wont be too far behind. Unfortunately the quality of Namco-Bandai's anime-based fighting games are savagely hit-or-miss so this one's kind-of a longshot...one has to hope that they both
A) manage to release this stateside before the year's end
B) it's not a complete piece of crap game
Tekken 6 - Multiplatform
Last, but certainly not least, Tekken 6 will be landing on home consoles sometime this year. Already in its second revision in arcades, we'll be getting the goods when this upgraded edition pops up on store shelves. It's been a little while since we've seen a proper Tekken on home consoles, and with the recent announcement of the formerly Sony-exclusive franchise going multiplatform there's going to be a lot of excitement when this one lands later this year. Tactically Tekken's absence kept it from going head-to-head with Virtua Fighter 5, but with Street Fighter now stepping into the 3D arena who knows what game will come out on top?
That about wraps it up for now. I'm sure there're some more titles I missed, and I can only hope that as they years moves on some more titles will crop up but for me these are the games that I'm keeping fixed on my fighting-radar. Until next time, keep those buttons clear of build-up and don't wrench your 'stick too hard.
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