RUMOUR: Xbox mods?

Hi there, been a while hasn't it? I've been looking for a reason to jump back on here but haven't found the right thing to jump on. I was planning on jumping back with E3 but nothing really grabbed me. Sure Starfield is a thing but so far it's an... well a short vid of a starfield. There was that kiss that got all the attention for the wrong reason (That's going to produce some heat, I sense a follow up). Microsoft announced they bought some studios and stealth announced a new generation. 

So why come back today? Well, something that might actually be big, something that might shake things up a bit.

Windows Central has been shown leaked documents that outline "Xbox community content platform." Now I know that sounds like a bunch of PR approved words stacked together, because it is. This feature does have a more colloquial term (that I totally spoilt in the title CLICKS BE DAMNED) Modding.

Goku In GTA V

According to WC the documents say this would be a platform-wide feature (think achievements, Kinect) that only needs to be enabled by the developer, the devs will have control over parts of the game can be modded or apply any limitations they want. So, all in all, sounds very much like the modding system Bethesda started with Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition, which also... inspired Cities: Skylines and one of those Farm Simulator game's console mods). There does seem to be one difference between this system and the Bethesda system, it appears as Microsoft themselves will be hosting the mod libraries, This should mean we shouldn't have to sign into secondary accounts

When could we see this feature? well the documents say "later this (northern hemisphere) summer"

Abe's Take
And back to the start, why this news story? Microsoft after years of stopping it decided to push for crossplay, we now have crossplay everywhere (well almost everywhere) Microsoft pushing mods as a feature of their platform should give Nintendo and Sony the kick to join in on the fun (not holding my breath on Sony.) Platform-wide modding, like Indie games before it, should cause the "big boys" to share the spotlight and in effect shake things up, even just a little bit.

Shen Long to Finally Appear in Street Fighter 30th Switch

It seems Capcom have been busy making yet another edit to Street Fighter 2 for the upcoming 30th anniversary.

Fans of Street Fighter will be delighted to know that Shen Long will finally be making an apperance in the Switch release of Street Fighter 30th - due for release next month. Provided as a bonus for Nintendo fans who were disappointed at not receiving a Street Fighter IV for their home systems, Street Fighter II dash Dragon Punch will be included as an unlockable extra should certain requirments be met.

The elusive hidden character is finally licensed.

We at Game Knights are not one to speculate on rumors, but instructions on how to access the exclusive licensed edition have surfaced around the 30th anniversary's rom file of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, often considered the hardest game in the series.

The player must be on the harbour stage (Ken's) and land a double perfect with Zangief's Final Atomic Buster which must put Ken through the barrel. Should this occur the game will continue as normal. It is imperative that Akuma then be reached who must then be Final Atomic Bustered through both of Bison's statues. No perfect is necessary, thankfully. Following this, Street Fighter II' Dragon Punch will appear on the game select screen. The game will play like Super Street Fighter II Turbo but Akuma's sprite has now been replaced by Shen Long.

You Have A Lot of Work to Do.

Shen Long is a long awaited edition to the series having been teased, rumored and speculated since the early 90s. It is not known how valid these new rumors are or indeed if anyone can ever reach Shen Long in their lives. Come May, myself and others will certainly give it a crack. Good luck everyone! 

The EGM April Fool's Joke

New News

Hey, out there in the real world, it’s been awhile. Don’t worry we’re still very much here. Time is strange. Sometimes things move so fast while others everything remains rather still and silent.

That same flimsily worded, Buddhist analogy is one that seems to be shared by Arika. For those who don’t know who I’m talking about and think I’m addressing a mysterious new guru in my life, don’t worry it’s not that exciting. Arrika are that tiny Japanese company who put together the Street Fighter EX games.

It only seems like yesterday, in fact, that Abe and me stumbled upon Street Fighter EX in our local arcade after ducking out of school for lunch, back in dinosaur times. I don’t remember if we ever made it back. They were fun, mind numbing games, back then. Not terribly great.

Well, those exact “not great” games had an ugly third cousin (once removed) called Fighting Layer. Fighting Layer may sound like some inedible, possibly toxic cake mixture but, in fact, is actually an unplayable, possibly toxic fighting game. It has also, very abruptly, resurfaced.


















  one happy customer


With a delay that can only rival Chinese Democracy, the two dozen or so people mad enough to still be working at Arika without going completly Daffy have finally produced their first game in over eighteen years. So how will this Layer sit with gamers?

Honestly? It looks...fun. I have no idea who asked for this, why it's happening or what's going on, but it looks fun.

Maybe check it out this April Fools Day on the PS4. Yes, that’s when and where this randomness is allegedly happening.

*edit: the release date has now been pushed back to June*

Sonic Forces Poll

So Sonic Forces has finally hit, well, basically every modern platform and its time to ask THE QUESTION

That question. Has the Blue-Blur finally ended his streak of sub-par games and kept the quality that Mania gave us? Well, judging from the critical reviews, that answer is probably not. However, since no one here at GK-UK has dared to grab a copy (honestly when we get that Sonic itch we just hop on Sonic Mania), we're reaching out to our fellow gamers and seeing how the good folk who paid for it found the game. Kind of like a blue canary down a coal mine situation.

So, without further ado: Did you play Sonic Forces? Was it everything you had hoped for or just another let down? Tell us what you think below.

What do you think of the new Sonic Team game - Sonic Forces?

A classic

Good solid fun

Could have been better

Abysmal

created with Poll Maker

ARMS is shaping up nicely!

Last night Nintendo broadcast their ARMS focused Direct and it's looking rather promising!

There's been some concern and hype for Nintendo's new IP. the two primary concerns for ARMS are controls and content. Last nights Direct certainly addressed the later.

The now roster now features 10 fighters (with two additional fighters/bosses showed but not announced), each character has a unique ability altering how they play. The newcomers are a robotic cop (with AI robodog), a woman with spring hair, and a "snake border"

L-R Kid Cobra, Twintelle, and Byte & Barq,

Full roster. (new characters in bold)

• Spring Man – This passionate fighter’s bouncy hairstyle might look fake, but his passion for fighting is definitely real.
• Ninjara – Using his nimble movements and ancient ninjutsu, Ninjara can disappear and warp somewhere else even in mid-air or when guarding.
• Master Mummy – As the only character that can restore health while guarding, Master Mummy is a force to be reckoned with.
• Min Min – With her ramen noodle arms, Min Min’s spin kick and throws are deliciously powerful.
• Ribbon Girl – Possessing next-level jumping skills, Ribbon Girl violates the laws of physics with her unbeatable power.
• Helix – Who is Helix? He’s an experiment gone wrong, that’s who. His springy body lets him move in unpredictable ways.
• Mechanica – This mechanical genius dons a homemade power suit that can hover above the competition.
• Kid Cobra – A fan of selfie sticks and live streaming, this hip fighter pounces on opponents with a charged-up dash.
• Byte & Barq – Two fighters in one! This robot fighter and his robot canine companion battle together to unleash devastating combo attacks.
• Twintelle – As an A-list actress, Twintelle uses her celebrity status to render her opponents utterly star struck as she walks the red carpet to victory.
  

The characters spring arms are customisable, with players choosing what they have on each hand (or is that HANDS?)

• Types – Dozens of ARMS can be selected in the game, each with its own special power and handling ability. Different types range from the Toaster, which unleashes a flaming punch, to the Tribolt, which shoots three bolts horizontally. Some ARMS even boost defence, like the Guardian, which can be used as a shield.
• Attributes – There are seven different ARMS attributes in the game, each with its own speciality: Fire, Electricity, Wind, Ice, Stun, Explosion and Blind. Different ARMS have different attributes, so it’s a good idea to mix and match for a strategic advantage.
• Weight – When equipping the many different types of ARMS, weight is an important factor in determining performance. Weight affects momentum, so players have to keep this in mind when selecting ARMS. Stronger ARMS are more powerful but slower, while multi-hit ARMS are quick but have lower individual power. Punches can even run into each other while fighting, with the heavier ARMS knocking the lighter ones away.
• Upgrade ARMS – As players fight through ARMS, they will rack up hard-earned in-game currency for use at the ARMS Getter, where players can use their skills to earn new ARMS and the ability to upgrade previously owned ones.

The Direct also confirmed multiple game modes and match types. Here we were expecting single player tournament, 1 switch local 1v1, 2 switch local 1v1 and online. However, ARMS has much more in store for players.

Match types.

• Fight – In this main mode, two fighters battle against each other one-on-one to claim victory. During the fight, bombs and other healing items drop in, adding some strategic options to the proceedings.
• Team Fight – Two players are attached by strings and must team up to battle another team of two. Attacks can hit allies, so watch out for friendly punches!
• V-Ball – Similar to Tekken ball (or to normal humans; Volleyball). V-Ball is a sport that involves knocking an explosive ball into the opponent’s court.
• Hoops – Grab opponents and shoot them into the net (or even dunk them for extra satisfaction) in this hard-core game of ARMS-style basketball.
• Skillshot – Break as many targets as possible using the versatile powers of ARMS (this isn't limited to single player as one would expect.
• 1-on-100 – Defeat 100 enemies in a row, one at a time, in this progressive battle mode.
• ARMS Test & Training – In Test mode, players can try out randomised ARMS combinations, while Training lets them practice a number of varied drills.

Game modes.

• Grand Prix – Win 10 straight matches in Grand Prix and players will face a final opponent to be crowned the ARMSchampion. (Is said to be playable in local multiplayer, It's unknown if that means 2v2 co-op or just player 2 invading the match arcade style.)
• Party Match – By connecting the Nintendo Switch console to the internet, players can battle with up to three other ARMSplayers at a time that are in the same lobby as them. One lobby can hold up to 10 systems, but with up to two players per system, 20 players can potentially get together in the same lobby.
• Ranked Match – In this time-honored coliseum, players compete online in 1-v-1 battles. By winning a match, a player’s rank goes up, while, conversely, losing will make that rank go down. While waiting to play a Ranked Match online, players can participate in any other mode to pass the time (and tighten up their skills).
• Local Wireless Mode: When playing in Local Wireless mode, up to eight players with eight separate systems in the same room can gather in an in-game lobby and battle up to three other players at a time like in Party Match.

Nintendo also confirmed the DLC strategy for ARMS. Fresh characters and ARMS will be coming FREE for all players, The very same strategy that helped keep Splatoon active. Also mirroring the Ink shooter Arms will be receiving a global 'test punch' (that's beta for 'normals'), the download is available now whilst the beta opens next week.

Lastly, to address the other concern about the title there was a press event where gaming sites (not us) and magazines got to test out a near-finished build. Whilst there will be "proper button" controls Nintendo hasn't let anybody outside of Nintendo try it. However, almost everyone agrees that the controls work well, no waggle, and are responsive. The previewers are all stressing the game is closer to Street Fighter than Punch Out or Wii Boxing.

Abe's Take
I am extremely pleased with the new information. 10 is a reasonable amount of fighters for a first lineup, there are plenty of modes to try, and its starting to remind me a little of For Honor. It's also nice to see the stages are not just different window dressing and actually offer ways to shake up the gameplay. One level is a skatepark where players can hop on to "snakeboards" fighting on the move!

Sonic Forces Unveils Third Character!

Sonic Forces has been getting a lot of attention. After all, it is basically a sequel to Sonic Generations, one of the few modern Sonic games that showed the character still has worth. 

There's been teasing for some time now that Classic and Modern Sonic will be joined by another hero. Now obviously 'Boom' Sonic was dismissed quickly and it seemed odd to have 1 version of any other of the franchise's heroes.

Well, rejoice fur fans! The hero joining Sonic is YOU! Well, we say you, we mean a custom animal character that you make. Your character's equipment and race/breed will affect your abilities. for example;

• Bear -Blows away enemies with a homing attack
• Bird - Flies high with double jump abilities
• Cat - Keeps one ring after being hit
• Dog - Restarts with five rings after the player dies
• Hedgehog - Collects rings when getting damaged
• Rabbit - Has longer invincible time after receiving damage
• Wolf - Automatically draws in rings when near them

Check out the trailer now!

Abe's Take

I really don't want this, sure I buy WWE games basically just for the custom character aspect, and Xenoverse's custom character feature managed to cut through DBZ fatigue... FINE I'm probably going to get this day one!

ARMS Direct Incoming!

Nintendo recently released their E3 plans which involved a direct style "Nintendo Spotlight" so you'd think they would be done for the time being? 

WRONG! Upcoming motion (non-motion too) fighting game ARMS is getting a dedicated Nintendo Direct tomorrow (That's May 17th) at 23:00 for us in the UK, 00:00 CEST, 3PM PT and 6PM ET. Nintendo also confirmed Splatoon 2 will get a new trailer at the end of this Direct.

ARMS caused a quiet storm at the Nintendo Switch reveal event. It was at first dismissed as a possible Wii boxing follow up but somewhere between the reveal and the art style spawning metric heaps of fan art, the fighting game community started quietly talking about the game, that got a lot louder when Nintendo confirmed the title will also support traditional controls.

ARMS will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on June 16th.

Abe's Take
It's not surprising that ARMS is getting some attention, Splatoon followed a similar path when it was first announced. Can Nintendo pull it off again? Well, we have a month till we find out but regardless I sure hope Ribbon Girl and Spring-man appear in Smash.