Skullgirls (upcoming 2D fighter)

[Axelhander]

2D airdash-y, aircombo-y fighter designed by Mike Z. (real Soviet damage), with some pretty amibitious goals, including:

- a tutorial that teaches you how to play fighting games
- intuitive, easy special move commands with some degree of AI combatting accidental motions
- an anti-infinite system that gives opponents a free GG-style Burst once an infinite is detected
- 2D art mapped to a 3D engine allowing for "sprites" with real time lighting
- music by the chick what did Symphony of the Night's music

Official site:
www.skullgirls.com

The SRK topic, where various devs have commented and answered questions:
http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/skullgirls.44239/

Currently for XBLA and PSN, though Reverge wants to release on other platforms AFAIK.

EDIT - I do not work for Reverge nor am affiliated, personally or professionally, for anyone involved in it. I'm just a fighting game enthusiast trying to make this game known and illicit discussion over it.

EDIT 2 - Fixed the SRK link.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

Interesting, but this post smells like advertising. Either add discussion value or be prepared for mod wrath.

*edit* The disclaimer added at the end should probably do the trick.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

The animation is very smooth but reminds me of kids next door, which is a shame because I don't like that style.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

How cute, they think they can hold a candle to Capcom or Arcsys. Well, they're free to try although I'm not inspired with confidence by them giving a burst to get out of infinites instead of making infinites impossible to execute.

 

[Axelhander]

Interesting, but this post smells like advertising. Either add discussion value or be prepared for mod wrath.

Thanks for the heads up. I've added a blurb stating that this ain't an ad and that I have nothing to do with the game's development in any way.

The animation is very smooth but reminds me of kids next door, which is a shame because I don't like that style.

What style? "Animated?" Because quite a few games use that style, including almost every non-polygonal 2D fighter. Also Kirby.

 

[Axelhander]

How cute, they think they can hold a candle to Capcom or Arcsys. Well, they're free to try although I'm not inspired with confidence by them giving a burst to get out of infinites instead of making infinites impossible to execute.

Rather than rightfully call this post out as a pile of nonsense, I'll try to be a little more productive and explain precisely why it's like completely wrong:

If you read the linked SRK topic or official site, where the devs talk at length about why this mechanic was added, you'd see that their reasoning is sound: the systems that Capcom and Arcsys use to introduce hit stun decay have flaws. Sometimes, they don't work (see: Captain America shield infinite, Zappa's dog infinite), and even when they do, they don't prevent boring, boring loops (see: Magneto's H, airdash, H, airdash, etc. combos in MvC3, or Doom's M&M combos in the same game).

Skullgirls's system doesn't try to fight what gamers can, will, and *should* do; make the most out of the game system. It just ensures that a combo can only continue if its sequence doesn't repeat.

Also, Capcom and Arcsys aren't the vaunted developers you think they are. Yeah, they may have made more money, but, from a mechanical standpoint prior to release at least, Skullgirls demonstrates more actual developmental thought than either Capcom or Arcsys has put into their games for a looooooooooong time.

 

[MoriyaMug]

For those interested, the sound designer on this game is Vincent Diamante, the same guy who composed the music for Flower.

There is actually a foolproof way to prevent infinites, but I've never seen a game implement it: connect with the same move twice in a single combo, and that second hit immediately knocks the opponent down, with no chance of OTG/pursuit/whatever. I know a guy who hacked it into Samurai Shodown 3, though.

 

[Chibz]

fighting game enthusiast trying to make this game known

Sweet, a fighting game enthusiast. We need a LOT more of those around here.

How cute, they think they can hold a candle to Capcom

I'm sorry, but capcom lost all respect I had for them aeons ago. At least in regards to street fighter.

Plus, a LOT of game mechanics are just poorly conceived that Capcom implements.

 

[Axelhander]

fighting game enthusiast trying to make this game known

Sweet, a fighting game enthusiast.

High five! And other man-isms, like the "fist pumping."

For those interested, the sound designer on this game is Vincent Diamante, the same guy who composed the music for Flower.

Sound effects? Because the musician is the lady from Symphony in the Night, Michiru Yamane. Unless I'm missing something and/or grossly mistaken.

There is actually a foolproof way to prevent infinites, but I've never seen a game implement it: connect with the same move twice in a single combo, and that second hit immediately knocks the opponent down, with no chance of OTG/pursuit/whatever. I know a guy who hacked it into Samurai Shodown 3, though.

That would prevent infinites, but also stifle creativity. Just having the same move twice in a combo isn't bad in and of itself, lest, say, a Ryu/Ken cross up into crouch MP linked into another crouch MP into either fireball or hurricane would end at hit #3. I think Mike Z.'s got it right: look for patterns and stop those.

 

[MoriyaMug]

Sound effects? Because the musician is the lady from Symphony in the Night, Michiru Yamane. Unless I'm missing something and/or grossly mistaken.

You're not. Vince is doing SFX work. I've known him for many years (going back to around late 1995), and he told me about the new job as sound designer. Music composition duties and credits still fall to Yamane.

That would prevent infinites, but also stifle creativity.

I get what you're saying, but I don't really agree. The more "basic" fighters, a la the Street Fighter and KOF types, allow for plenty of flexibility in their combo engines without duplicating a move. And in the more bombastic, ASW and Versus-style games, with all the helpers, assists, OTGs, launchers and/or other such amenities, have so much at their disposal that it would barely be a limit... other than to get rid of those basic abuses.

I think it would be something good to implement in a high-profile fighter. Rather than stifle creativity, I think you'd see more of it, just as one sees in the film industry with small, dedicated productions. Operating within limits is what inspires people to work harder at finding ways to exceed them.

 

[bitCrusher]

It's a real shame that I'll be missing out on a great fighting game because I dislike the art style

 

[kikimaru024]

It's a real shame that I'll be missing out on a great fighting game because I dislike the art style

Why not try it out though?

With any game (especially fighters), the art style usually becomes background after only a few hours play, and you end up concentrating on the mechanics more than anything.

I love 3rd Strike, I think it's still the most beautiful 2D fighter ever -- but not once, when I'm concentrating on my opponent's options, do I think "geez, look at how Makoto's scarf moves".
It's more like "OH CRAP, is she gonna kara-karakusa? Should I jump away? DOES SHE KNOW??"

 

[Jack T Robyn]

I'm sold on what I've seen so far, and Yamane has sold the rest.
I cannot recall an animated 2D fighter of American make since the dawn of the console era.

Also, hand-drawn frames. It's like a love-letter to American animation.

 

[Ravidrath]

Thanks for making this thread, Axel.

I work at the developer, Reverge Labs, and can answer questions if anyone has them.

 

[bitCrusher]

It's a real shame that I'll be missing out on a great fighting game because I dislike the art style

Why not try it out though?

With any game (especially fighters), the art style usually becomes background after only a few hours play, and you end up concentrating on the mechanics more than anything.

I love 3rd Strike, I think it's still the most beautiful 2D fighter ever -- but not once, when I'm concentrating on my opponent's options, do I think "geez, look at how Makoto's scarf moves".
It's more like "OH CRAP, is she gonna kara-karakusa? Should I jump away? DOES SHE KNOW??"

that isn't really a good example though. I have a problem with the art style as a whole, not how one character's scarf (I think it's an oversized-bandanna btw, lol) moves.

I'll try a demo I guess. but gahhh

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

How cute, they think they can hold a candle to Capcom or Arcsys. Well, they're free to try although I'm not inspired with confidence by them giving a burst to get out of infinites instead of making infinites impossible to execute.

Rather than rightfully call this post out as a pile of nonsense, I'll try to be a little more productive and explain precisely why it's like completely wrong:

If you read the linked SRK topic or official site, where the devs talk at length about why this mechanic was added, you'd see that their reasoning is sound: the systems that Capcom and Arcsys use to introduce hit stun decay have flaws. Sometimes, they don't work (see: Captain America shield infinite, Zappa's dog infinite), and even when they do, they don't prevent boring, boring loops (see: Magneto's H, airdash, H, airdash, etc. combos in MvC3, or Doom's M&M combos in the same game).

So to prove your point you only reference Capcom's most broken game they've made in the last ten years? Way to skew the discussion mate. MvC3 is a terribly unbalanced fighting game and anyone who says otherwise is blinded by nostalgia about the equally broken MvC2.

Surely I can be sceptical about this since to this day I've yet to see a fighting game in the west that matches the finesse found in the best fighting games Japan has to offer. They're free to prove me wrong but I'll await the reviews before making any sort of plunge into this here game. Enthusiasm helps but history has shown that some genres simply work better or worse in certain regions simply because of the cultural imprint required to make such a game work. (Inversely you don't see many good FSP games coming from Japan, they simply don't see the gun in the same light as Americans nor do they have a similar gun culture)

But hey, if Skullgirls turns out to be good I'll gladly pick it up.

 

[Ravidrath]

MvC3 is a terribly unbalanced fighting game and anyone who says otherwise is blinded by nostalgia about the equally broken MvC2.

Surely I can be sceptical about this since to this day I've yet to see a fighting game in the west that matches the finesse found in the best fighting games Japan has to offer. They're free to prove me wrong but I'll await the reviews before making any sort of plunge into this here game.

But hey, if Skullgirls turns out to be good I'll gladly pick it up.

Our lead design's a tournament champ, and his goal is to build on MvC2 and make it competition-worthy. He was a designer/programmer at Pandemic, and really knows how to take things apart and rebuild them.

So far, taking it to tournaments has gotten us nothing from great feedback from the hardest of the hardcore fighting game community. We get lots of "I was skeptical, but now I see this is the real deal." We've only got three characters right now, but the general consensus was that "all three are really good at what they do" and "seem well-balanced." Even with mismatched team sizes.

We've also shown it to Arc Systems Works, too, and they also love it and were looking into the possibility of signing us before Autumn did. Additionally, we showed it to three Japanese tournament champs at E3 and ReveLAtions, Sako, Umezono and Satoshi, and all really liked the way it felt and played.

Anyway, hearsay isn't going to convince you, but hopefully you'll give the demo a chance when it's out to verify it yourself.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Now there's no need to put words into my mouth. =p But it is comforting to hear that Ishiwatari-san and his peers enjoys the game.

 

[RollForInitiative]

Our lead design's a tournament champ, and his goal is to build on MvC2 and make it competition-worthy. He was a designer/programmer at Pandemic, and really knows how to take things apart and rebuild them.

So far, taking it to tournaments has gotten us nothing from great feedback from the hardest of the hardcore fighting game community. We get lots of "I was skeptical, but now I see this is the real deal." We've only got three characters right now, but the general consensus was that "all three are really good at what they do" and "seem well-balanced." Even with mismatched team sizes.

We've also shown it to Arc Systems Works, too, and they also love it and were looking into the possibility of signing us before Autumn did. Additionally, we showed it to three Japanese tournament champs at E3 and ReveLAtions, Sako, Umezono and Satoshi, and all really liked the way it felt and played.

Anyway, hearsay isn't going to convince you, but hopefully you'll give the demo a chance when it's out to verify it yourself.

That's quite the resume. From one developer to another, I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you've got a solid foundation to build upon.

 

[K84]

You had me at 2D.

Well, and music by the composer of SoT, and the Peacock character is awesome.
Love the inside jokes in her moves.