Update: Capcom sent out a release the following day, redacting the mention of online play and five new characters. Did someone at Capcom jump the gun?

The release of Tatsunoko vs Capcom in North America will change a bit from its Japanese counterpart, Capcom has announced. The North American release eliminates one character from the Tatsunoko side of the roster and adds five new fighters not found in the original game. Not only that, but the North American version of the game will also have online play, a feature the original Japanese release cannot boast.

[Thanks, WiiNinja!]

With the release of King of Fighters XII drawing near (or, if you live in LA, you can play it early tomorrow!), SNK sent out a trailer to remind people why this franchise is so revered and why the latest installment should be worth your time. You know, thinking back on all of these games, we've realized something: King of Fighters has been around for a long time. No, seriously, it has!

Grossly obvious statements aside, we will say this: Them's some pretty sprites.

You remember Bob's Game, don't you? The humble 2D RPG made by a single, possibly loony, individual? Well nearly two months have gone by since the game's creator Robert Pelloni was denied developer status by Nintendo and -- other than a NYC littering spree -- we've heard little about the game as of late. In an interview with Nintendo big boss Reggie Fils-Aime on MTV Multiplayer last week, however, the record was set considerably straighter.

When asked for his side of the story on what had come to pass, the Regginator had this to say: "He did submit to be a licensed developer. We have an evaluation process. We evaluated the opportunity. We decided at this point in time that he did not meet the requirements to be a licensed developer." Well that about does it then, no? Apparently MTV wanted more from the conversation, pushing the CEO on what to do if a developer wants to work with Nintendo but doesn't necessarily have two or three major games under its belt, "My hope is that any developer who has a compelling idea will reach out to our licensing organization and share their idea and go through the process of becoming a licensed developer for the Nintendo platform," Fils-Aime said, "And we have a legacy of supporting that type of development."

Unfortunately, as it seems, Mr. Pelloni's game wasn't quite "compelling" enough of an idea.

Announced via Major Nelson's podcast last night, this Wednesday's "Days of Arcade" XBLA game will be the 2D, side-scrolling, three-player co-op beat 'em up (breath), The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Coming in at 800 ($10), you might remember Dishwasher from GDC 2008 when, among other XNA titles, it was featured as a free download, showcasing the XNA development tools. Be sure to keep a lookout for the X3F Podcast-born achievement that pays homage to Peter Moore's fake guitar playing prowess! And if you're like us and can't spare the extra spacebucks just yet, feel free to window shop in our gallery below.

[Thanks Menno!]

With its global online support, we expected that Arc System Works' console port of arcade brawler BlazBlue would eventually be released outside of Japan. Now niche publisher Aksys has quietly revealed plans to bring the elegant 2D fighter to North America for both the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Like their counterparts in Japan, fighting game fans in North America can look forward to mastering super moves and combos this summer, as players beat the heat by staying indoors away from bears and tiresome physical activity. With King of Fighters XII slated for a July release as well, the only question we're left with is: How will our hands survive?

[Thanks, Nick]

Arc System Works, the folks behind popular 2D fighting franchise Guilty Gear, are planning on bringing their high-def 2D fighter, BlazBlue, to the Xbox 360 and PS3 IGN reports. Currently only available in Japanese arcades, the title is being ported to home consoles in the region, with release aimed at this summer.

Notable additions to the console port include a story mode, with individual stories for each character available. This story mode will offer branching storylines based on the battles you win, as well as the choices you make while playing. Director Toshimichi Mori says the story mode easily offers 30 hours of gameplay.

On top of that, gamers can look forward to online support for battling folks around the globe, as well as DLC, which Arc has planned, yet no specific items were mentioned. The console version of the game will also provide all characters with Astral Heat special moves, which were only given to a select few boss characters in the arcade version of the game.

For our PC brethren that have been watching 2 million console gamers with envious eyes, know that your time will come, uh, months from now, as Capcom has dropped word that Street Fighter IV could be arriving on the PC as soon as this summer. Capcom vice president of business development, Christian Svensson, even says that Capcom has been in talks with Mad Catz to bundle one of those SFIV fight sticks with the game. "I'm in talks with Mad Catz to figure out how can we actually do some bundles of pads and Street Fighter IV PC," said Christian.

However, a release date of "this summer" isn't even set in stone for the game. When asked about the PC version's release, Christian merely responded by saying, "Let's say summer." We have a feeling a lot of PC gamers have some choice words for Christian, but we remember what our teachers told us about assuming.

In 10 days, the U.S. will receive Street Fighter IV. It's a game that needs no prefacing of any kind. We just thought that you might want to take a break with us and watch the completely awesome Japanese opening cinematic. Seriously, if you watch one video today, this should be it. It's way better than the last trailer we showed you. Akuma totally fights Gouken. You can find the video past the break.

Word on the street is that the highly stylish and, well, one of our most-watched games, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, will hit Japanese retail in April of this year. We've got no firm date yet, however an April release in Japan means that we could be seeing it localized in North America this holiday season. It is coming to Europe in November, after all (not taking into account summer placeholders).

It's a long wait, but one we'll gladly suffer for what we're sure is going to be a wonderful game.

Looks like we have a new BFF, even if they don't know it yet. As you can see in the image to the right, the cabinet is set to play Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (running off a Wii), which is one of the games we'd most like to import but it costs like a bajillion dollars so we can't. Apparently, these cabinets are just sitting in somebody's kitchen, in Brooklyn. Uh, what does a blog need to do to get an invite? We're already making you famous to our 32 readers with this post. Hook a blog up, already! We totally own a car.

In all seriousness, though, we're really jealous of how awesome that kitchen is.


[Via NeoGAF]

Upcoming WiiWare game Swords & Soldiers promises to be a fun time. Ever since it was revealed, we've been smitten by a most amazing and charming artistic style, as well as the prospect of some fun and fresh RTS action. It seems like a potent mix, one which demands attention and will not be ignored. And, after watching the trailer above, Swords & Soldiers has our full attention.

Swords & Soldiers is currently scheduled for release in February of next year.


[Via Go Nintendo]

If you're like us, you won't let a little thing like a language barrier stop you from importing what is sure to be the fighting game of the year. So, instead of trying to navigate the abundance of Japanese text and all of the menus, or simply just trying different moves with each character in-game, you can simply print out these handy little cards with each character's moves listed on them, allowing you to safely try out each fighter and avoid the frustration of just winging it with each individual in the game. It's a pretty great resource with a lot of info condensed into one place. If you plan on importing Tatsunoko vs Capcom, then you should definitely check this out.



Source - Move list sheets (zip file)

Another giveaway comes, another giveaway goes. Our latest fanswag, involving Wario Land: Shake It!, has concluded and it's about time we crowned a winner. Who's lucky enough to win our copy? The winner is:

• Adam N, who is a big fan of Wario Land 3

Congrats, Adam! To the rest of you, we wish you better luck next time. Thanks for entering, thanks for reading and be sure to keep an eye on Wii Fanboy for our next giveaway, which will start up shortly!

When it was announced that Oboro Muramasa Youtouden was headed to North America (under the name Muramasa: Demon Blade), we got all kinds of excited. Not only does the game have a wonderful style all its own, it also looks like a great 2D experience in a world crowded with 3D games. During a recent interview with 1UP, the game's director Jyouji Kamitani answered questions dealing with the origins of the game, the motion controls players can expect and the playable build that will be available during the upcoming Tokyo Game Show.

Hit up this link to read the full interview.

Dave Perry has been feeling a twinge of seller's remorse since washing his hands of former platforming icon, Earthworm Jim. More than that, actually, as the Shiny Entertainment founder admits in a recent interview that, in hindsight, selling off the rights to annelid-made-superhero was probably the "dumbest move ever."

The outspoken Wii detractor lays the blame for the miscue largely on the industry's transition away from 2D and into the third dimension in the 90s, his animators at the time unwilling to lay down their pencils in favor of the almighty polygon. Of course, the team eventually went on to create the fabulously tongue-in-cheek action epic, MDK. Now, like Perry, we're left to sit and wonder what might have been as we wait for Interplay to push Jim up from the soil once more.