News and Review

Pop'n Music 9	It's been a long time since I've had the time to sit down and write a review of Arcadia. Sorry about that. But to be honest, you didn't miss all that much. However, the newest issue has some pretty interesting stuff.
	Pop'n Music 9 makes the cover this month. I doubt you've ever heard of it the Pop'n Music series, but it's been one of the biggest in Japanese arcades for a few years. It's a musical puzzle game where you pound colored buttons to the beat.
There's a big 2-page ad for KoF 2001 for the Sega Dreamcast. I got my copy about a month ago! I'm glad to see Playmore supporting the Dreamcast and at-home gamers.
This issue features Arcadia's 3rd Annual Awards! Let's go... Best Games: 1) Sega's World Club Championship Football 2) some Mahjong game 3) Guilty Gear XX 4) Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution Best Graphics: 1) Ikaruga Runner-ups) Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, Metal Slug 4, Initial D, Guilty Gear XX Best Idea: World Club Championship Football Best Characters: 1) GGXX 2) KoF 2001 3) Pop'n Music 8 Best Character: 1) Bridget 2) Sol Badguy 3) Kyo Kusanagi 4) Selika 5) Ash 6) K' 7) Iori Yagami 8) Slayer 9) K9999 10) Angel 11) Yuuli 12) Ivy 13) I-No 14) Cassandra 15) ??? 16) Zappa 17) Musepi 18) ??? 19) Shishamo 20) Milia Rage 21) Milk 22) Reinyan 23) Talim 24) Dizzy 25) Faust 26) Reset 27) Go Hinogami 28) Patorako 29) Kula 30) Kagome Best Income (most $): King of Fighters 2001 Favorite Game Maker: Konami And that's it. Notice Capcom's not a part of "the best". Not even characters!! I think it's really interesting that pretty much everybody from Guilty Gear XX made it on the Best Characters list. And I'm a little surprised that not more characters from the King of Fighters were on the list.
Hey, Time Crisis 3 is in the works! That one of my all-time favorite series, and from what they're showing now, it'll be another good one. And the King of Fighters EX 2: Howling Blood is also in the works for the Gameboy Advance. And speaking of KoF, the #1 game in Japanese arcades is KoF 2002! VF4 still hold's 2nd place with GGXX in 4th.
This issue also features tons and tons of great New Years fanart. My favorite is a picture of Lilith wearing a really strange lambskin version of her outfit (it's the year of the Ram). And then in the regular fanart sections, there are a buncha KoF and GGXX fanarts as usual. There's one picture featuring Cammy in a bikini version of her Delta Red outfit, and she's standing with Juni, Juli, and Vega. There's also a nice little Cammy picture in the B&W fanart section. And that's not it... there's a picture of a Delta Red Cammy in the cosplay section too! Her name is Naomy, and wearing camo stockings and it looks pretty cool. There's also an especially good Lilith cosplayer.
And well, that's pretty much it for this month! Next month's issue should be here soon...

Beat Mania II DX 8th	Ready for more game news from Japan's arcades? This month's cover has "Capcom's Fighting All Stars" written across the front, but the picture shows some of the new gals from Beat Mania II DX 8th Style. And the free full-sized poster this month features an awesome picture from Soul Calibur 2!
	The first 2 big full-page ads are for Sega's Virtua Striker 2002. The next 2 full page ads are for the PS2 release of KoF 2000 on Nov 28, and the NeoGeo cartridge release of KoF 2002 on December 19th for about $300.
The first big game article is about Capcom's new fighter called "Capcom's Fighting All Stars". There's news on some new characters and A LOT of opinions about this game in my Oct 21, 2002 rant.
There's a little tiny bit about a new arcade shooter called "World Combat", and it looks pretty impressive. The screen is probably about 2 meters wide, 1 meter high, and there's space for 4 people to play using life-sized shotguns. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to travel to Japan to see this one.
The next big article is for KoF 2002. The release date says October, so if it's not out in arcades yet, it'll be out soon! The release of the new KoF game is always a huge event in Japan! The article is mainly strategy and move faqs, but it does show the 4 color schemes for all the teams as well as the special Orochi Team featuring Yashiro, Shermie, and Chris!
In a previous Arcadia review, I mentioned the new Guilty Gear XX cards. This issue has a 1 page article highlighting some of the cards, and it looks awesome! (just as we've come to expect from the Guilty Gear series) If you're a fan, definitely try to get a hold of these cards.
The top 10 arcade games are: 10) Metal Slug 4, 9) Tekken 4, 8) China(???) 2001, 7) TETLiS T.A. PLUS, 6) Power Smash 2, 5) Virtua Striker 3, 4) Soul Calibur 2, 3) Gundam, 2) Guilty Gear XX, 1) Virtua Fighter 4 Evo. Wow, Soul Calibur 2 is only 4th? And VF3e beat out Guilt Gear XX?! But again, 3 of the top 4 games are fighters. BTW, I don't know what that China(???) 2001 game is (couldn't read that last kanji). And TETLis T.A. PLUS is something from Arika & Psikyo.
The next big article is about VF4 Evo, but there's nothing really noteworthy. After that is a strategy guide for Soul Calibur 2. There's also some strategy on GGXX, Metal Slug 4, and a few other games.
A game called Pop'n Music has been really popular in Japan, but I think it's unheard of anywhere else. It's just another button-pounding puzzle & music game, but it's got some interesting characters and I suppose it must be fun too. The newest version out is Pop'n Music 8, and it's actually #1 in the arcade 'gimmick' game ranking (racing games, shooting games, music games, etc.). Anyhow, there apparently was a huge Pop'n Music concert, and there's an article about that. I don't know any of the bands, so I can't say much.
The arcade prize section shows only one thing that's interesting, and that's a Christmas Asuka Langley from Evangelion. She's wearing a really cute bunny-style reindeer outfit. The fanart this month is good as always, but there's nothing especially outstanding. The cosplay section has a nice June from Star Gladiators, but not much else. And that's it from Japan for this month!

Wait, don't get too excited yet. It's a 3D game featuring Ryu, Chun Li, Nash (aka Charlie), Haggar, Strider, and a few new characters. Nope, no Cammy yet, but don't you think that a return of Delta Red Cammy is LONG overdue?! I hope they do that. Capcom would be stupid not to bring back one of their most popular character of all time.

From what I've seen so far, there's nothing too interesting about this game. It seems just like a hodgepodge of more of the same old Capcom crap. I really don't see anything especially interesting yet. But, there's always a chance that it could be more and not just some cheap gimmick! I should know better, but there is a little glimmer of hope and excitement deep down inside me...

Anyhow, for some more news and screenshots, check out http://www.the-magicbox.com/game082802a.htm. BTW, I think the comments on that page are exactly right... looks like a new Street Fighter EX or something else produced by Arika. Sigh...

PS - for more news, and a rant on what I think this game is gonna be like, please check out my Oct 21, 2002 rant.

For a REALLY long time now, a lot of us have been expecting to see Street Fighter Alpha 3, Guilty Gear XX, and The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood for the Gameboy Advance. Here's what I know about the delays...

The latest news from a distributor I know is that GGXX & KoFEX have just been delayed indefinitely. Majesco is supposed to released the games in the US, but they're fighting over money rights. For weeks and weeks and weeks, the games have been pushed back, and now it's all up in the air. And speaking of up in the air, I've got both my middle fingers up in the air! I hope they get things straightened out soon...

As for Street Fighter Alpha 3, I don't know anything except that it's been pushed back and back and back all summer. Right now, there's no release date for it anymore. A few months ago they were even running GBA commercials on TV featuring SFA3 (with Cammy Spin Drive Smashing somebody). Again, I hope whatever the problem is gets solved soon! I for one have been looking forward to these games for a long time, and I'm sure many of you have too! Anyhow, that's all I know now. Let's try to be patient...

VF4 Evolution	It's Arcadia time again! Hey, isn't it interesting that fighting games have the cover almost every single month (9 of the last 12 months), yet over here in North America, it seems like nobody likes fighting games. Yet another reason why I love Japan. Anyhow, the wildly popular Virtua Fighter series is back with a decent upgrade called "Evolution". This freak on the cover is one of the 2 new characters, and his name is Goh Hinagami.
	VF4E has the cover, but the MVS (cartridge for the Neo Geo) version of KoF 2002 has the first article. Yes folks, SNK is gone, but the Neo Geo lives on thanks to the fine folks at Playmore!
The next article, however, is VF4E. It's got some info on the new guys, the upgrades, and a comprehensive move list & strategy for all the characters. Soul Calibur 2 also has a nice article too. I bet that game is absolutely kickin' ass in Japanese arcades! I wish I could be there to see. Anyhow, the best thing I see in the SC2 article is that Yoshimitsu is back! ^_^ Now I'm just waiting on confirmation on Seung Mina...
Another noteworthy thing is a 3 page ad for 3D Fighter Maker 2 for the PS2. It looks pretty interesting, and I'm excited to get some more news. After that is some news on events, arcades (aka "game centers" in Japan), and a list of the top 10 arcade games in Japan... 10: Tekken 4, 9: PowerSmash 2, 8: KoF 2001, 7: "Musepi no Choco Maker" (?), 6: Rage of the Dragons (Arcadias Pick of the Month), 5: G-taste (an adult game), 4: Virtua Striker 3, 3: Gundam, 2: Virtua Fighter 4, and #1... Guilty Gear XX! Sega's got 4 of the top 10 games (#'s 2, 4, 7, & 8), and half of the top 10 games are fighting games (#'s 1, 2, 6, 8, & 10).
Okay, 9 of the last 12 covers have been for fighting games, and 5 of the month's top 10 games are fighting games... so can ANYBODY tell me why those genius-retards at Capcom haven't made another Street Fighter or Darkstalkers game?!
Strategy in this month's issue includes: VF4E, Guilty Gear XX, Rage of the Dragons, Soul Calibur 2, G-Stream, and Metal Slug 4. Other than that, there's not much else to report besides that there's a great Shadowloo Cammy picture in the fanart section! There's also an amazing picture of Lei Lei. But the cosplay section sucks (again), the arcade prize section is not exciting, and the rest of the fanart is average (which is still pretty damn good!). Then there's the design art section featuring Mr. Driller, and the poster features some of the Beat Mania 7th Mix girls at the beach. And that's all for this month... see you next month with more news from Arcadia.

As you saw a few weeks ago in Cammy News, I reported on the the Cammy (and Chun Li) figures from the "Capcom Queens" toy line in Japan. Now, Lei Lei and Morrigan are out too, and I just got 'em in the mail! ^_^

These two were released about a month later, and they're also a bit more expensive... 3600 yen (about US $30). The higher price is due to the fact that Lei Lei and Morrigan come with a lotta little extras like spikes for Morrigan's 2 sets of wings, tons of weapons for Lei Lei, etc.

They're both made of the same bendable rubber material that lets you pose them in almost any position you like. That's something that really sets this set of figures apart from others.

They're great figures, but I don't like Morrigan's faces all that much. And I'm kinda mad that Cammy's head looks small and awkward on her body (the figures come with multiple heads that you can interchange). And Lei Lei looks great, but she's confusing! I sat there for quite a while before I could figure out where all the arms, hands, claws, and weapons go. Oh, and one of Lei Lei's claws was broken >_<

Anyhow, I just wanted to tell you that the new figures where out! So if you've already got your Cammy, you can now start looking for some friends. (or another body to use with that extra Cammy head)
BTW, for pictures of Cammy and the other Capcom Queens, check out www.MobyDick.co.jp

Midnight Carnival	Hey, it's Arcadia time again! And the mighty Guilty Gear XX - the Midnight Carnival has the cover. Anyhow, the first thing that really hits you about this issue is the first 2-page ad for VF4 Evolution. The 2 new characters, Goh and Brad are shown, and the pictures are way too real! Goh has some really nasty scars and piercings... he looks almost like some kinda undead freak. And Brad looks like a Latino with a really fancy beard/goatee (the detail on the hair is amazing!). The first article (just 2 pages) has a little bit about the game too.
GGXX has the first major article (20 pages), and it's got all sorts of strategy, stats, and strategy. The next big article (18 pages) is all about the Soul Calibur 2, which is FINALLY out in Japan after months & months of hype. The SC2 article has all the same info (strategy, etc), but what's most interesting is the bit on Passwords. I haven't taken the time to read about it yet (my Japanese isn't perfect, so it takes some work), but it looks like you can name your character and save stats & stuff on the machine. Cool! BTW, the character portrait artwork for SC2 is awesome if you haven't seen it yet (and a little bit perverted in Taki's case).
There's also a 6 page article about Rage of the Dragons, Playmore's (the 'new' SNK) new fighter. It think it looks really cool, but I'm not sure that it's 'great' because there's nothing that seems especially new or unique about the game. Nevertheless, I can't wait to see it.
Other strategy sections include Techno Beat, Midnight Racer D, dodonpachi DAI-OU-JOU, The Maze of the Kings, Beatmania II DX 7th Style, Dance Dance Revolution Max 27th Mix, Stream G2020, Virtua-on 4 Force, Metal Slug 4, and VF4.
The KoF fanart section has a great Joe Higashi picture, and quite a bit on Leona too. The Arcade Prize section is pretty uninteresting except for a little tiny thing at the bottom... a re-painting of the Capcom Gals Christmas figures from 2000! Cammy's got a green outfit on, and it looks great! ^_^ That'll be out in November! There are also some VF4 keyholder figures and big Chun Li (looks bad) and Mai Shiranui (looks cool) figures. The cosplay section doesn't have much, and they wasted space on Lilith and Chun Li pictures (what's interesting or cool about a pre-made outfit that anybody can buy?). The general fanart section has got a lotta summertime swimsuit pictures, but not many interesting characters. There is one that's really fun though... Sakura lost her bikini bottom and didn't notice until it was too late (Ryu also noticed, and Zangief noticed too, but he's kinda confused... give him another moment ^_^). Oh, and one last thing... the poster this month was for GGXX, and it featured the alternate cover (the new witch-girl, Ino). And on the back of the poster is a complete move list for Soul Calibur 2!
And that's it for this month. As usual, it's been exciting! I know my report isn't as exciting as the real thing, so if you can, do try to get a hold of Arcadia yourself! Or, go see 'em online at www.ArcadiaMagazine.com

Soul Calibur 2	Okay, the first issue of summer is here. Since summer is the time when kids get out of school, and people seek shelter from the heat, it should mean that the game companies will try to get some good new stuff out, right? Yup, that's what it looks like!
	This month's cover features Raphael, one of the new characters from the MUCH anticipated Soul Calibur 2. And of course there's a pretty big article about the game inside the magazine. There's really not much to report except that the Japanese arcade release date for SC2 is June. If it's not out now, then it should be sometime this week.
The first few big advertisements are for pretty much the same games as the last few months... The Maze of Kings and Rage of the Dragons. A new ad is for a set of Wild Arms 3 trading cards. I've been a big fan of that series, and the cards look cool... let's hope that one makes it over here ASAP.
The feature article this month is for WCCF (World Cup Championship Football). As I've been mentioning the last few months, this arcade game is absolutely insane! And with the World Cup going on in Japan, I'm sure this game is a huge hit. I don't care much about soccer, but it would be cool so see this monster game in person.
And what Arcadia is complete without Guilty Gear X? This month there's another 21 page article/guide on Guilty Gear XX. The game looks awesome, but it's starting to get painful having to see so much about it, but not getting to play it! >_< I hope somebody brings this game over to the USA. But if you want an import copy, you can now get one because it just went on sale for the PS2 today! I'd get a copy for myself, but I'm too busy right now, so maybe I'll wait until I hear about an English release.
Other exciting news is that Playmore's (the new SNK) website is finally up and running. It looks awesome! Check it out at http://www.Playmore.co.jp. And speaking of Playmore/SNK, there's finally an article about their new game, Rage of the Dragons. There are lotsa character introductions and screenshots to get you really excited about this one.
Aside from all that, there are a buncha strategy articles on games like Metal Slug 4, Soul Calibur 2, Virtua On, etc. The new arcade prize section doesn't have anything interesting, and the cosplay section is kinda 'blah' too. The fanart section doesn't have anything especially outstanding either, but two of the new KoF girls, Angel & Moe, seem to be very popular. And that's about it for this month.

Guilty Gear XX	Yip yip yahoo! My Arcadia magazine is here again!! It's probably not as exciting for you all as it is for me, but hopefully my monthly review of Japanese Arcadia magazine provides some interesting news for you.
	Anyhow, people in Japan are going crazy for Guilty Gear XX! There's another major article about the game, and the screen shots are absolutely amazing. Guilty Gear hardly made an impression over here, but hopefully we'll get GGXX anyways. From what I've heard, we well. ^_^
Anyhow, remember I mentioned a shooting game called "The Maze of Kings" a while ago? Well, there's a big ad on pages 1 & 2, and it's looking pretty cool! Actually, it's pretty cheesy, but I've always had a fascination with Egypt. It looks like you're gonna roam around temples and tombs fighting mummies and other strange Egyptians things. Just imagine House of the Dead meets Indianna Jones and ancient Egypt.
Pages 3 & 4 have ads for SNK (Playmore, Sun, etc.). What's most interesting is that Garou: Mark of the Wolves is being re-released as a Dreamcast greatest hits title, and so is Last Blade 2. AND!!!! The King of Fighters 2000 is gonna be released on the Dreamcast. I thought the DC was officially done with a few months ago, but I'm glad it's not. However, I am a bit concerned that the game doesn't seem to be available on the PS2, Gamecube, or Xbox.
Article #1 is about the new SNK fighting game I mentioned last month called "Rage of the Dragons". There are a lot more details and screenshots, and it looking like it's gonna be a great 2D fighting game! And, I predict that a few of the girls in this game are gonna become super popular! I don't have a favorite yet... but I can't wait until I see the game in action so I can decide which one is my favorite.
The main part of the magazine (24 pages) deals with Guilty Gear XX. There's news, strategy, artwork, and much more. After that is more on Soul Calibur 2, that GIANT soccer game I talked about a few months ago, and a few other random games. The one that's really interesting is called "Mazan: Flash of the Blade". It's kinda like a first person shooting game, but you're using a samurai sword! There's not much news yet, but it should be interesting.
The cosplay section this month is extremely boring. And aside from an interesting Lei Lei picture, and a Lynn Kurosawa picture, there's not much exciting in the fanart section either. Maybe this issue was a bit less exciting than usual, but it's got me pretty excited nonetheless!

	DAMN!! I somehow erased the first 3 parts to this month's review of Arcadia. There was no way of getting it back... sorry! >_<
The oddest article in this month's magazine is about the "dogstation". It looks like it's some kinda virtual reality arcade pet that prints out coupons... I dunno... I haven't read all that much on it yet. After that are some small news bits and other random things. And after all that, there's a detailed walkthrough of Metal Slug 4 and an interview with 3 of the makers.
The dogstation is not the only strange new dog game... there's another new game called Panikuru Panekuru. It's a puzzle game featuring some insane (but cute) little dog. From that, you go to some strategy on the much anticipated shooting game, Ikaruga.
The 2nd strangest game this moth is Raging Ping-pong. What else is there to say about an arcade ping-pong game? I think it's just something you kinda gotta see with your own eyes. Another thing you should see are the new Seaman and Aiai (the Super Monkey) arcade prizes.
As usual, there's a TON of great fanart. KoF has it's very own section, and my favorite picture this month features Blue Mary. Guilty Gear also has its own fanart section. And then in the general fanart section, there are some really good pictures of Rachael from Martial Champions (a fighting from around 1993). It's good to see that fans haven't forgotten a cool character! There's also a very interesting picture of Terry Bogard and Gouki (aka Akuma) sitting together on a park bench ^_^. Oh, and no fanart section is complete without a Cammy picture (but it's just a little tiny b&w picture. The cosplay section is kinda boring this month. But, the Graphic Arts section has got all kinds of cool sketches from Metal Slug 4. Oh, and I forget to mention that this month's poster features Tekken 4! And that's pretty much it.

SNK again!	Another month of Arcadia, and another cover for SNK! Yes, they're still out of business, but it's hard to tell, huh? In the last 6 months, SNK games have graced 5 Arcadia covers. Anyhow, on to the news...
	The first 2 full-page ads are for Metal Slug 4, and King of Fighters 2001. And the 3rd is Guilty Gear XX. However, the first two articles are on some shooting game, and a music game called "Technic Beat". Nothing interesting. The first real article is about Metal Slug 4, and it's due out this month (March 2002). It looks great!
The next big article is on Guilty Gear XX. It talks mostly about the new game system and the characters. It's gonna be awesome, but I hope this time it makes a bigger impact on the game world outside of Japan. Then there are a couple of uninteresting game articles. However, one game called "The Maze of Kings", looks kinda interesting (it's some kind of Egyptian shooting game).
Then there's something I never thought I'd see again... "The Typing". Remember "The Typing of the Dead"? Well, now there's a "Lupin the 3rd: The Typing". Strange! And speaking of strange, there's a new ping-pong arcade game. Leave it up to the Japanese... is there anything they won't do?! And speaking of those crazy Japanese, they've created a HUGE soccer arcade game called "World Cup Champion Football 2001-2002". It's SO big that it's almost the size of a small arcade (30 feet wide and about 20 feet long). It's got 10 consoles facing one giant screen. Only in Japan!
Besides all that are articles on The King of Route 66 (American Pro Trucker 2) and Ikaruga (a new shooting game from Treasure), and strategy guides on KoF 2001, Virtua Fighter 4, Virtua On 4 Force, Gundam DX, Tekken 4, and Capcom vs SNK 2. This month also features an article on game colleges in Japan (wish I coulda gone there).
And Arcadia is always good for other game related stuff like cosplay (nothing special this month), arcade prizes (nuthin' again), and models from the Wonder Festival winter 2002 (a cool R Mika). However, the very coolest stuff is in the fanart section... including a GREAT picture of Cammy! It's Shadowloo Cammy from behind, and it says "code name: 'Killer Bee'". Too bad it's just a little picture, and there's no website listed for the artist. It's one of the best. There are also a few cool Lei Lei pictures, and some girl from Pop'n Music with long blond pigtails like Cammy. Another especially cool picture features Lilith wrapped up with a red dragon. This month's poster and design sketch section features Cleopatra Fortune, but that's pretty much it. As usual, it's always interesting to read through Arcadia, but on the other hand, it makes me miss Japan SO much... >_<

SNK lives on!	This month's cover is all about SNK!. SNK is still out of business, but their legacy is obviously still alive, and going very strong!! I'm happy to see that. The only thing that could make me more happy would be Cammy on the cover.
	This month's issue is again full of SNK / NeoGeo news. They explain all the different companies that took pieces of SNK. Eolith, Mega, and unoTAC in Korea have taken a lot of it, and I think they are all under the name of "Playmore". Sorry, I haven't had time to really read though it all yet, but from what I've glanced over, that's what the situation seems to be. Interesting... I wonder what the Koreans will do with all that?
The first main article this month is Metal Slug 4 (from Mega). Marco and Eri are back (yeah Eri!), and then there are 2 new faces... Trevor Spacy and Nadia Cassel. Trevor is a guy with white hair, and Nadia is a really cute girl with pink hair and puffy pigtails. Anyhow, besides new characters, there are also a bunch new machines... motorbikes, 'metalcrows', forklifts, 'bradlays', walkmachines, and 3 ton trucks. Basically is looks like the same old Metal Slug game that so many fans love! I hope it comes over to the USA eventually, but in the meantime, how about Metal Slug 3?
The next big article is King of Fighters Online (from unoTAC). This game looks absolutely wild! I think you're just gonna be able to wander around and fight whoever you see. There's one picture of a parking lot with about 4 or 5 different fights happening simultaneously. There's also a picture of the select screen showing 36 spots for characters, but only Benimaru, Shingo, Geese, Blue Mary, Ralf, Iori, Kyo, Kim, Leona, Athena, ???, Terry, Mai, King, Ryo, Chizuru, Vanessa, Chang, Choi, Shermie, Chris, and Yashiro are shown. I can't wait to learn more.
The next article is about Guilty Gear XX, and it features more new characters... I-No, a sexy witch with a guitar, Zappa, a guy with heart on his chest and forehead, Slayer, a guy who looks a lot like Lawrence Blood, and Bridget, a girl who looks a like a white Rimururu. This game will be another HUGE hit in Japan, I guarantee it.
There's also a bit about Soul Calibur 2, Ikaruga (a shooter by Treasure), KoF 2001, a Capcom vs SNK 2 tournament (in which 2 of the 10 teams featured Cammy), King of Route 66 (American Pro Trucker #2?), and a few other games.
Besides that are the usual features such as fanart, cosplay, arcade prizes, character design sketches, high scores, etc., but there's really nothing extra special to mention. And that's it. It's been one of the most exciting issues in a long time. There's gonna be a whole lot to look forward to!

I've been VERY busy recently, and with excite.com down for the last month or so, I've had no e-mail. But a few things have made it to me...

Supposedly, there's a new Darkstalkers game FINALLY in the works!! The name is rumored to be "Vampire Soldier", but other than that, I don't know nuthin'! Maybe Capcom finally listened to the millions of fans? Maybe they saw how insanely popular the Create-a-Darkstalker contest was? I hope they totally reanimate the series, but even if they don't, I'll be happy. I wonder what it'll be like?!

The next rumor is Pocket Fighter 2 with Cammy! That's all I've heard. I hope it's true. Those are the kinds of games that really gave Capcom such a big fanbase, so it's only right that they bring 'em back. And I suppose with the extra 2D department full of ex-SNK employees, it's very possible that they'll do more games like that!

Anyhow, I've been meaning to search some Japanese websites for more news, but I haven't had the time. And ever since the Capcom Friendly Club disbanded, I haven't been able to get much inside Capcom news from Japan. Well, let's all keep our fingers crossed, pray, and do whatever else we can to help these rumors come true!

Yahoo... the new issue of Arcadia is here! I'm always so excited to see what's going on in the arcades of Japan. Oh, how I miss them!! Anyhow, I hope you're excited to hear what the news is too...

First of all, I didn't bother scanning the cover of the magazine this month because I have no idea what the heck the picture on the cover is! It looks like some kinda modern art sculpture. It's for a new shooting game called "Ikaruga".

Anyhow, there's a big ad on pages 2-3 for KoF 2001. What's interesting is that it still says "Neo Geo", but it's copyrighted to Eolith and Playmore. Hmmmm...? Anyhow, the first big article is for new Guilty Gear XX. Not many people cared about GGX about that game outside of Japan, but in Japan, is was a HUGE hit! Basically it's a small upgrade with 2 new characters (Slayer and Bridget), and some new techniques. It's due in Japan this Spring.

This issue also features the Arcadia awards for 2001. Best game? The Gundam game (the one I paid almost no attention to). In 2nd place was Virtua Fighter 2. Best Graphics went to Tekken 4. Best Idea was awarded to Virtua Fighter 2. Best Characters went to Capcom vs SNK (of course, Cammy's in there!). Best Maker went to Capcom... but note that financially devastated and basically out of biz SNK came in a very close #2! Sega got 3rd, Konami 4th, Namco 5th, Psykyo 6th, and Taito 7th.

There's also a favorite character ranking, but it was VERY strange. Kyo Kusanagi stands alone at #1, and I believe it. What's strange, is that Cammy's not in the top 20... and neither is Chun Li, Sakura, Morrigan, or Lilith. Then, Ryu is #8, but I know for a fact that he has almost no popularity in Japan. Anyhow, Iori Yagami is #4. Nakoruru & Rock Howard are tied at #9. Mai Shiranui is #12. And ironically, Geese Howard and Terry Bogard are tied at #14! Then all bunched up at #20 are Athena Asamiya, Zangief, Momo (Project Justice), Ryuji Yamazaki, Rugal, and a few more. SNK has 13 of the top 20, including #1! (how did they go out of biz?!) That's pretty much it. Most characters are from fighting games, but there are also a lotta characters from Pop'n Music. Anyhow, I think it's all very, very strange... I wonder how they came up with their top 20?

Next is a big article on Soul Calibur 2 (arrggghhhh... I WANNA PLAY!!!), but there's nothing really newsworthy. After that is something on Ikaruga. Then are 14 pages of strategy and notes on KoF 2001. Immediately after that are 2 pages of KoF fanart (lotsa K9999, Angel, and Mei Li). And that's not it... there's also a little section on KoF EX NeoBlood for the GameBoy Advance (released on 1.1.2001). There's a new girl named Moe seems to be causing a lotta excitement. And that's STILL not it... next is KoF Online! News is just now getting out, and it should be ready by about March. It's gonna be an online fighting RPG. I'm glad to see KoF lives on without SNK!

And that's pretty much all that's exciting in this issue. There's some more strategy, GGX fanart, general and New Years fanart, cosplay (with a great Morrigan & MotW Terry Bogard), and other stuff. And in the website link section, there's one for Cammy (http://www.bd.wakwak.com/~sephia-angel/). The end. (what better way to end?)

Tribute to SNK	Ugghhh... what a miserable way to start 2002! SNK is out of business. The future doesn't look nearly as bright without SNK. But, this issue does feature a very nice Tribute to SNK. And, with the King of Fighters 2001 just released, SNK isn't going out quietly! For the 3rd month in a row, KoF 2001 is the feature game of Arcadia.
	Of course the first thing this month is the "Tribute to SNK - keep your hopes alive". They did a very nice job! It actually brought tears to my eyes. Yeah, I may be a big wuss, but I bet I'm not the only one who's gotten a bit emotional about all this.
KoF 2001 is the next article, and it's basically just a giant strategy guide. At the end of that is a special fanart section for KoF 2001. And the next article is about KoF EX NeoBlood (for the GameBoy Advance!). It looks cool, and I hope it'll come out in English too. SNK is out of biz, but they're not quite done yet! ^_^
Next is an article on Soul Calibur 2! That's pretty exciting, and it's helped make me a little happier. There's nothing especially noteworthy to tell you about, but it looks cool! The article mainly focuses on the new stages, and then there's a little interview. Towards the end of the magazine, there's a section with all the characters storylines.
After that is some stuff on the new Virtua-On game, and the Gundam DX game. And after that is more strategy on Capcom vs SNK 2, Virtua Fighter 4, and Tekken 4. Then... it's more on that wacky "Inu no Osanpo" game! I'd kill to see that one! If you don't know about it, check out the last 2 Arcadia reports for more info.
A game called "Pop 'n Music 7" has a big feature as well. And the poster that came with Arcadia this month was Pop 'n Music 7". It's basically a button-pounding puzzle/music game. I don't really like or understand it much, so it's a bit hard for me to explain it to you.
On page 144 is "Lupin the 3rd: The Shooting". You all know the anime, don't you? But, I bet you didn't know that Cammy's a fan of Lupin! Yup, she talks about it in the Cammy Gaiden Drama CD. Anyhow, it's a gun game, and I am excited for a home version!
As usual, there's a cosplay section (nothing too cool this month), a Guilty Gear X fanart section, and a general fanart section which includes a very cute picture of "Cammy the Cat". And that's pretty much it for January 2002! It was a sad issue, but at the same time, there is actually a lot to look forward to.

KoF 2001 again!	Yeah, it's the middle of the month, and that means it's time for the new Arcadia magazine from Jaapn! Last month, although KoF 2001 was the main story, it didn't get the cover. This month, however, it's got the cover! Unfortunately, it's basically just a massive strategy guide, so there's not a whole lotta news to tell you about.
	BTW, last month's Arcadia had an article on SNK's awesome illustrators, and issue continues that with an interview. BTW2, at the end of this month's issue is a big section with a whole buncha interesting character sketches from KoF 2001.
The 2nd story, which is only 2 pages long, is about Soul Calibur 2. (oh, I can't wait to play it!!) Anyhow, it's basically just an introduction to two of the new characters, Talim and Hong Yun Sung. Talim looks pretty interesting because she's got 2 strange daggers that are attached to her wrists. But Hong looks exactly like Hwang.
Next is a little section with all the games Arcadia is nominating for the "Arcadia Awards". Unfortunately, if you haven't been to any arcades in Japan within the last year, you haven't seen most of 'em. I guess we'll see who the winners are next month.
The next 5 features are on Virtua-On, Gundam DX, and Cap vs SNK 2, Virtua Fighter 4, and Tekken 4. They're just strategy guides, so there's not much to report. However, after that is a 2-page guide to one of the stages from Inu no Osanpo! Remember that game? If not, go down to the Sept 2001 Arcadia review and check it out. What's especially funny is that there are little "marking point" notes along the path with a picture of a little dog lifting its leg! ^_^ Oh, I'm dying to see this game too!!
There's also a little section on new game related models. The coolest shown are Mika on her knees and rubbing her butt, Felicia jumping (her tail is forming a heart), and Racheal from Martial Champions (a very old fighting game). The SNK art section is packed with cool fanart. And the regular art section has some good stuff too, including a great Cammy picture! The Cammy artist has a website with a lot more Cammy, but it's pretty perverted, so I won't put up the link. Sorry, I respect Cammy too much, so I won't promote that kinda stuff. Anyhow, that's it for December!

KoF2001 & more!	It's so nice to have a cool game magazine to look forward to every month! Unfortunately, I have to get it from Japan because I don't like any of the US magazines anymore. But most of you can't get this from Japan, so I've written another little report for you.
	Anyhow, although the November issue has a picture of the new Gundam game on the cover, the real highlight of this issue is the King of Fighters 2001! And there's a whole lot more besides that inside...
First of all... KoF 2001, Episode 7. It's due out in early November in Japan, and I'm sure all the arcades (aka "game centers") will be flooded with fans. Basically what this article is, is an introduction to the game because I don't think there's been much news on it yet. There are a few pages describing the history, gameplay, etc., and then there are profiles showing all 40 characters (10 teams) along with their character artwork. Check out the new "KoF 2001" gallery on the SNK Page for more art & info! And at the back of the magazine is another section with the complete storylines for all 10 teams. The game looks awesome!! I hope fans outside of Japan can somehow get a copy someday... (BTW, I still haven't seen KoF 2000 yet >_<)
Next is a tiny article on Soul Calibur 2, and although it looks basically the same, it's should be REALLY exciting! I really can't wait for it! And after that is a pretty detailed article on Gundam DX, but I'm not much of a fan of that mech stuff, so I didn't pay much attention to it. There's also a little article on a new game called "Lupin Sansei: the shooting" (that's Lupin the 3rd). Hey, did you know that Cammy's a fan of the Lupin anime? Anyhow, it's a shooting game, and it looks like a whole lotta fun. Hopefully it'll be released with the Namco Guncom for the PS2 outside of Japan.
Arcadia is also known for some really in-depth strategy, and this issue has info for Virtua Fighter 4, Tekken 4, and Capcom vs SNK 2. Wow, it must be great in Japan with all these fighting games out!! And KoF 2001 will soon be out too!!!
Another interesting feature is an article on SNK's illustrators: Tonko, Hiroaki, K, and (?)no Shunin. And besides all that are a buncha little things on high scores, fanart (SNK has it's own section), arcade prizes, cosplay, other up-coming games, etc. And ever issue of Arcadia comes with a full-sized poster folded up, and this month's was a very cool Garou: Mark of the Wolves poster featuring Terry Bogard, Rock Howard, B. Jenet, and Hotaru. BTW, Mark of the Wolves was just released for the Dreamcast in Japan. Anyhow, that's it for November's Arcadia!

Capcom vs SNK 2	This is another exciting issue of Japan's #1 arcade gaming magazine. And as a bonus, this month's poster features a Tsukasa Jun picture of one of Psikyo's Mah-Jong game gals. Anyhow there's a lotta news, so lemme get to it...
	The first article is about a new Gundam game, and it looks awesome! I've never let myself get into any of that mech stuff, but this game looks so cool that I wanna check it out regardless. And the next article is long and complicated explanation & comparison of the the original Naomi board, the Naomi 2 board, and the System 246 board.
The 3rd article is on the new Virtua-On game. That may not be news to most people outside of Japan, but that's a really big series in the arcades over there. Again, I'm not into the mech stuff, so I never played, but I did spend a lot of time watching people battle. This new game looks great, and it should be fun!
The next major article is about Virtua Fighter 4. It's mostly a character strategy guide with moves and all that. The game looks cool, but I'm not too excited about it. After that is a similar guide on Tekken 4, and although I've heard bad things about that game, I'm still really excited to check it out (especially the new Xiaoyu)! One interesting thing is that they show all the characters in alternate costumes... Pail Phoenix with his hair down, Heihachi in a thong >_<, Hwaorang with cropped hair & a commando outfit, Cowboy King, etc.
74 page in, we finally get to the cover story... Capcom vs. SNK 2! It's a general guide about the game, and it's got some more in-depth info on some of the rarer characters like Haomaru, Eagle, Morrigan, etc. BTW, on Sept 13 Capcom vs SNK 2 came out for the Dreamcast in Japan.

Inu no Osanpo
You won't believe it...

Then there are a buncha small articles on stuff like a KoF '98 tournament, a go-kart racing game, Heavy Metal, etc. And THEN there's something about a really strange dog-walking game called "Inu no Osanpo". You stand on a treadmill, look at a big video screen and then you take your dog for a walk... I guess you gotta avoid cars, and other troubles like that. Strange! Only in Japan! They love that goofy stuff ^_^ Anyhow, click on that little picture to the left to check it out. They say "seeing is believing", but I think this might be an exception to the rule!!

Each Arcadia has a special SNK fanart section that's always packed full of great art! Then, I guess as long as the Guilty Gear X craze lasts, there's a GGX fanart section. And there's also a great general fanart section. There's a good Cammy picture, as well as a whole lot of the great-looking new Xiaoyu from Tekken 4. And then that's about it. There's actually much more, but you gotta get your own copy to see. (check Cowabunga's eBay auctions... maybe he's got a copy for sale)

Vamp Savior set 2	Hey, for a game that's been dead for going on 4 years now, it still seems to have a TON of popularity, huh?! Sigh... why doesn't Capcom take advantage and make Darkstalkers 4?
	Anyhow in early 2000, Yuujin made a set of Vampire Savior arcade prize toys that was insanely popular. I lived in Japan at the time, and I had trouble getting them because as soon as they filled up a machine, people bought 'em out! It's a little bit late, but now they've put out a 2nd set of figures which is even cool than the first!
This set includes Lei Lei and her sister Lin Lin (yeah! ^_^), Jedah, Gallon (aka Jon Talbain), Bulleta (aka BB Hood), and Lilith in her incredibly cute "Showtime" bunny outfit. Click on the little picture to the left to check out the whole set. As much as I love Lei Lei, Lin Lin, and Bulleta, I'm most happy to see the Showtime Lilith, but as good as it looks, there seems to be one major flaw... she's not wearing her fishnet stockings! >_<
Anyhow, these figures just came out in Japan within the last week or so, so if you've got good contacts, or you can find someplace online where you can get 'em, do it! Don't dilly dally around and expect to get them later, because they might not be available anymore. I've got mine, and they should be coming in the mail right now...
BTW, in case you're wondering about these Yuujin arcade prizes, lemme tell you about them. They're in little gumball style vending machines that cost 200 yen (about US $1.75) to play, and spit out 1 random figure inside of a little plastic ball. The figures are actually it little pieces which you have to put together, and they're getting very complicated nowadays. But when they're done, they're about 4 inches (10 cm) tall, and they're super-cool! And if you're wondering, other game related sets by Yuujin include Samurai Spirits gals, SNK gals, Capcom gals, and the King of Fighters.

TEKKEN 4's Steve Fox	Arcadia magazine is fairly new, only about 1 1/2 years old, but it has quickly become one of the best game magzines in the world. Unfortunately, unless you have contacts in Japan like I do, you won't get to read it, so summarized some of the most important stuff for you.
	Anyhow, Arcadia focuses purely on the arcade scene in Japan, so there's nothing in there about Dreamcast, PS2, or other consumer games. But in Japan arcades are still important, and most of the big games are released in the arcade before it even goes home.
	This month's issue has so much news that I put my review on a separate page. Click here to go check it out...
News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

I know I'm probably the only person outside of Japan who's been a member of the 'club', but since I've often given you reports from it, and since so many of you are Capcom fans, I thought I'd let you know what's going on because I think this is some pretty big news.

Anyhow, after almost 4 years (me for 3 years), Capcom abruptly ended the Capcom Friendly Club with their Spring 2001 issue of the newsletter. For a yearly fee, club members got quarterly newsletter and VHS video . Originally, they included a lot of inside information such as early game news/previews, sketches, exclusive pictures, interviews, etc., but as time went on, it just turning into advertising for games already out, or ready to be released. It was really a half-assed job. So in that sense, the end of the club isn't really a big loss, and may in fact have been a big reason for its demise.

Even though being a member hasn't been much fun lately, I'm a little bit sad that it's over. I would much rather have had Capcom get some better people in there, and made their fan club something really cool! Instead, they just gave up on it. However, as a bonus to all members, we got a choice a free PlayStation, PS2, or Dreamcast game! There wasn't anything that I really wanted, but I really do appreciate the offer (because I got nothing when SNK got bought out and ended their club!). I ended up asking for a game called "Snowboard Heaven" for the PS2 because I doubt it's gonna be released in English, I've never played a snowboarding game, and I think I remember some cool character designs.

And well, that's it. The CFC had a fairly good life. Although I thought it could have been so much more, I'm glad I was a member, because I did get some cool stuff out of it. Maybe after some time, Capcom will decide to bring back a new a better club for its fans... (I hope so)

News flash: Cammy's the coolest character

KoF 2002!	Hey, this month's issue has got a ton of exciting stuff! Obviously the cover showing the King of Fighters 2002 is exciting, but there's a whole lot more to review and talk about... including the best Cammy cosplayer I've ever seen! Things are gearing up for the Tokyo Game Show this weekend. This issue is a pretty good preview of what arcade fans have to look forward to.
	This month's issue has so much news that I put my review on a separate page. Click here to go check it out...