Two retro themed stories this morning. First, Capcom has released some screens of its forthcoming Xbox Live title, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting. The game seeks to simulate the excitement of a packed amusement arcade by offering an online spectator feature and a 'Quarter Mode' in which players can use virtual quarters to butt into Street Fighter tournaments.
I love the way Microsoft is really trying to embrace the whole 'Arcade' side of its online service, not just offering a multiplayer gaming portal, but also an approximation of what it's like to compete against strangers who are in the same space as you. And look at those lovely Street Fighter visuals - it's a perfect approximation of the arcade original, later ported to the SNES and Mega Drive. The controls are apparently mapped accurately to the SNES pad, but I've not tried it yet.
Also, IGN has re-launched its dedicated Dreamcast site and the team is promising to re-evaluate all of the console's games. It is a recognition, perhaps, of the machine's forward-thinking agenda (built-in modem, amazing multi-faceted controller, downloadable content, etc) and also of its great games. Soul Calibur is still a top five beat-'em-up, Shenmue remains a singular experience, ChuChu Rocket brought puzzle games to a new level and I still maintain that Midway's NBA Showtime has the best in-game commentary ever.
