fighting posts

Bash apart notable indie figures in Indie Brawl

by James Murff Aug 26th 2009 @ 6:30PM

If you've ever wanted to see Liero kill the guy from Bonesaw, or Naija from Aquaria tear into the both of them, here's your chance. The TIGSource community has been hard at work on a fighting game reminiscent of the Super Smash Brothers games, only with indie characters, and have released their first milestone out into the world today. Indie Brawl contains three fully functional character, several semi-functional characters, and four stages to duke it out on! We'll keep you updated as more releases are put out there.

The goal of Indie Brawl is to kill or ring out your enemies on a 2D stage. There's some excellent music and spritework on display here, and the controls are good as well. The only problems with controlling seem to be in the stiffness and rigidity, as well as a little imbalance in the power of characters. There is also support for gamepads, if that is your thing.

Filed under: Indie, Fighting

Beat the other girls senseless in Vanguard Princess

by James Murff Jul 6th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Have you always wanted to beat the snot out of other girls? And only girls? No, I'm not talking about Arcana Heart, I'm talking about Vanguard Princess, an extremely professional and free fighting game released recently. The art is phenomenal and the gameplay is reminiscent of Street Fighter 2 in its execution, with a focus around extremely technical play. Did we mention the art is phenomenal? Because it really is. I mean, look at that screenshot up there. Absolutely stunning, assuming you enjoy the detailed anime style.

To play this masterpiece, you'll need a Windows OS with the East Asia language support installed, and be willing to sit through a long download from a Japanese download site. There is also no online multiplayer, but fighting games are the sort of game that you really need to play against somebody in person. There is just something about murdering somebody in head-to-head and then dancing around in real life over your victory. No translation as of yet, either. But with this high a quality graphics and gameplay, who needs to know the translation?

Filed under: Indie, Fighting

Freeware Friday: Toribash

by James Murff Nov 28th 2008 @ 2:00PM

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

There's a wide range of fighting games, from Street Fighter to Soul Calibur. Some, like Guilty Gear, focus on learning every in and out of a character and utilizing all the strengths in a fast-paced battle of wills. Others, like Tekken, are slower and more deliberate, with countless strategies for approaching any scenario. None of them, however, let the player truly decide the moves. They are pre-generated by the designers, focusing the creativity of the players into a very specific channel. Toribash is the answer to these games. A fighter where you design and perform all your own moves in gloriously smooth animation, Toribash is one of the best fighters ever, commercial or free.

Continue reading Freeware Friday: Toribash

Filed under: Features, Indie, Fighting

Blast them Over The Horizon

by James Murff Jul 13th 2008 @ 7:00PM

There's a sub-genre of shoot-'em-up that we here at Big Download do not see all that often. It shows up once in a while, but never for too long before it re-submerges itself into the dark and murky waters of the internet. I am, of course, talking about the 1v1 Arena shooter. Much like a fighting game, you must tear your opponent to pieces with a variety of special attacks while maneuvering around them. Thanks to Lithium Leaf, another one has surfaced! Over The Horizon is an extremely pretty shmup brawler. The gameplay is fairly standard for games of its kind, but you won't see us complain. If you are a fan of shmups and fighters, you owe it to yourself to give this genre a try. And Over The Horizon is the perfect place to do start.

[Via Lithium Leaf]

Filed under: Indie, Arcade, Fighting

This is Vegas wants to be the deepest open-world game of them all

by Samuel Axon Jun 24th 2008 @ 10:00PM

Let's face it: you have to be pretty daring to release an open world game in the same year as Grand Theft Auto IV. You have to be confident that what you're offering is different in some substantial way. Fortunately, Alan Patmore -- whose Midway-owned studio Surreal Software is working on an open world game called This is Vegas -- is just as confident as he needs to be.

He told Gamasutra that most open world games make the mistake of "seeing the forest, not the tree," and posited that This is Vegas does things differently. Patmore believes that each of the game's four gameplay experiences -- fighting, driving, gambling, and partying -- are deep and engaging. This is in contrast to the Grand Theft Auto series, which he criticized for having simplistic combat.

He also said that the Vegas setting and vibe sets the game apart, and makes it appealing to non-core gamers. He contrasted it with the fantasy setting of Drakan (a game he and his team worked on in the past), and said that Vegas is a more socially relavent motif. Check out the full interview for more details mixed in with lots of game development jargon.

Filed under: Action, Driving, Sandbox

Street Fighter IV trailer is oldschool in a new way

by Samuel Axon Jun 4th 2008 @ 3:00PM

Street Fighter IV is intended to reawaken a classic franchise -- a franchise that's been dormant so long, it's hard to even picture it in today's 3D, hundred-million-dollar-budget gaming world. A 2D fighter in 2008? Can it be done?

The latest trailer from Capcom ought to sell you on the idea if you're skeptical. Let's face it, though; if you grew up playing Street Fighter in the 90s, then you're probably not all that skeptical. You're probably just plain psyched. Either way, we have the new trailer here for you. It displays several characters new and old. It's full of great artwork and impossibly epic special moves. It's also a whopping four minutes long. If you've been craving Street Fighter IV content, today's your lucky day!

When you watch it, you might even start to wonder if 2.5D is the new 3D.

Download the Street Fighter IV Gameplay Trailer from Big Download.

Filed under: Downloads, Trailers, Video, Fighting