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Guilty Gear Xrd 2 Coming May 26th

BaikenThe original “Guilty Gear Xrd” came out precisely a year ago on Japanese consoles (and a few months later on Western shores), and while I think we can all agree that it was a really great addition to our favorite series, it also wasn’t perfect, and never quite managed to amass the following that a fighting game needs in order to remain relevant, especially here across the Ocean. Well, the good news is that at the very least Arc System Works are willing to give it one more chance before giving up on the game by releasing an updated version/sequel titled “Guilty Gear Xrd 2”, which has already been out in Japanese arcade for a bit, but will finally be released in the West on May 26th – in precisely a month and a day since this article (hopefully) goes up!

In case you’re not familiar with them, most Japanese fighting games do sequels a little bit differently – rather than a fully-blown new installment of the game with entirely new story, mechanics, visuals and characters like it’s done in the West (see “Mortal Kombat” compared to “Mortal Kombat X”), Japanese fighting game sequels are just the same game as their predecessor, but with rebalancing based on fan feedback and extra content. That’s not true for all of them (the “Super Smash Bros.” series is always radically different), but each “Street Fighter” title has had numerous editions, “Marvel vs Capcom 3” got “Ultimate MvC3”, “Persona 4 Arena” got “Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax”, and similarly, franchises like “BlazBlue” and “King of Fighters” have also received these types of updates, alongside series which never left Japan, such as “Bleach: Heat the Soul”. “Guilty Gear Xrd 2” follows the same principle – it’s less of a full-blown sequel and more of an add-on which will contain all of the original content from “Guilty Gear Xrd”, plus a couple of extras.

Those extras come in the form of an overall roster rebalance, new moves for all characters, as well as new story episodes for fighters that didn’t have them. The main focus, however, are two new characters – Baiken, a badass female samurai (who, in true “Guilty Gear” fashion, is showing way more chest than is practical for combat) and Answer, who can be best described as an office worker/ninja. To be perfectly honest, this update doesn’t seem all that essential, and doesn’t really warrant the steep price tag ($20 if you own the original “Guilty Gear Xrd”, $40 if you’re new to the series). I mean, sure, if you’ve never played “Guilty Gear Xrd” and would like to get into it at an affordable pricetag, “Xrd 2” is the definitive version which may be worth getting. If you already own the original and the new characters aren’t a draw, then I’d personally wait until you can pick it up at a lower pricepoint, or perhaps skip it entirely.

3 Fighting Games That Would Make Great Slots

knightYou know, I had a thought the other day – what if someone made a “Guilty Gear” slot machine? I mean, sure, the thought seems kind of unlikely, considering the fact that “Guilty Gear” is a very Japanese franchise that is not only developed in the land of the rising sun (where most forms of gambling are illegal), but it’s also got a very traditionally Japanese style inspired by anime and manga of the 90s, as we’ve already discussed in some of my previous posts related to the series. Still, after some thought, I don’t personally think that this is THAT big of a problem, because after all we’ve seen a couple of Japanese products, like “Neon Genesis Evangelion” or the all too famous “Ghost in the Shell” receive their own Western slot adaptations. And that actually got me thinking – what if more fighting games, Western OR Japanese, got the slot treatment? How would that work? Which franchises have the potential for that? So today I’m going to be talking about 3 fighting game franchises (besides “Guilty Gear”) that I think could make great slots!

1. Mortal Kombat

Come on, how can this NOT be number 1? It’s the biggest fighting game franchise in the West, having spawned two movies, a TV show, a webseries, an animated series, an animated movie, a picture book (maybe) and who knows what else! While the series plateaued a bit during the 2000s, it picked up quite a lot of steam with 2011’s reboot, which introduced new audiences to what the old ones loved so much about “Mortal Kombat” – tight 2D combat and gory fatalities! Its sheer popularity, combined with the fact that it’s aiming for an adult audience by default (which, shockingly enough, is the same exact audience that’s also playing online slots), could potentially make it a very successful slots franchise, and it certainly helps that it’s got a TON of very distinct and recognizable characters and settings that a potential slot developer can draw inspiration from.

2. King of Fighters

Okay, I do have to admit that a big part of the reason why “King of Fighters” makes it on here over “Street Fighter” is because, well, for a little while it actually seemed like the developer was perfectly content with letting the fighting game franchise die and resume it in the world of gambling. And sure, that could be a bit drastic, but I think they were on the right track – a slot addition to the main series (which is now going into its 15th entry, damn!) could greatly benefit both franchises. Fans of “King of Fighters” will go and check out the slot, while people who like slots might later decide to play “King of Fighters”, with the characters they’ve gotten to know through the slot. And hey, while I do admit that I’m not the biggest fan of this franchise, it’s pretty bright and colorful and has AWESOME character designs, which, at the end of the day, is exactly what a slot machine needs.

3. Primal Rage

Come on, we both know that’d make an amazing slot. For those of you who don’t know, “Primal Rage” was a series of arcade classics notable for pitting giant beasts against each other, mostly dinosaurs and apes. It’s literally like being a kid and playing with your action figures, except in a fighting game. It’s a fantastic series, and it definitely needs to make a comeback on today’s hardware, but we’re not here to talk about that. Instead, I’d like to take a minute to explain just brilliant a slot based around the concepts of dinosaurs fighting giant apes actually is. Let me put it this way – nobody expects slots to give us the meaning of life. We expect them to entertain, to provide us with a dumb spectacle and to maybe reward our luck from time to time. That’s it. And honestly, I can’t think of anything better to watch on the reels of a slot than a dinosaur fighting a giant ape.

3 Fighting Games For Fans Of Guilty Gear

BlazblueHere’s a fun fact – there’s actually so many games in the “Guilty Gear” series that if you played a new one every day it would take you 13 years to play them all! Okay, actually that’s a lie, there’s not nearly that many, but there’s still a lot – Guilty Gear X, Guilty Gear Dust, Guilty Gear Judgment, Guilty Gear Xrd… Still, even with all of those games, it’s not unusual for hardcore fans of the series to get a bit bored of it after a while. That’s why I decided to make a short list of other fighting games similar to “Guilty Gear” that you might be interested in checking out! The rules of this list are simple – the game must be in 2D and it must play like “Guilty Gear”, so you’re not going to see any “Mortal Kombat” or “Street Fighter” games on here! Ready? Let’s get started!

1. Skullgirls

Ah, I need to start off with an indie darling! In an age where pretty much every fighting game franchise has transitioned firmly into 3D, “Skullgirls” came out and said “Screw that, we don’t care that 2D costs way more than 3D and takes a lot more time to make, we’re gonna come out and we’re gonna make the best damn 2D fighting game ever!” And, well, I’m not entirely sure if I’d call it the best, but their efforts are certainly impressive! I mean, “Skullgirls” is definitely the best-looking fighting game I’ve ever played in my life – its sprites are large, crisp, clean and very detailed, making battles a joy to watch! I mean, just look at this fan-made trailer which matches footage from the game with “Big Blast Sonic” (a song that “Guilty Gear” fans should be quite familiar with) and see for yourself! To top it all off, the game also features some pretty tight combat mechanics that call back the very classics that the graphics are paying homage to. Just mashing buttons may get you through a round of “Marvel Vs Capcom 3”, but in “Skullgirls” unless you know the mechanics inside and out you’re simply not going to win that fight.

2. BlazBlue

Ah, a favourite of mine! If you’ve played the excellent “Persona 4 Arena” or its sequel, then you’ve pretty much familiar with “BlazBlue” already, as both of those games were made by the same people and are very similar when it comes to gameplay style, relying on pulling off good combos between light and heavy/special attacks. “BlazBlue” looks and plays pretty much like a crazier version of “Arena”, but the similarities don’t end there! Remember the complex, intricate storylines of the “Persona” fighting games, how we jumped between several characters in a larger narrative to uncover the truth? Well, that’s also borrowed from “BlazBlue”, which has had one continuous storyline since its very first instalment! And it’s not just your typical Tekken “excuse plot” fare, we’re talking an actual narrative with good plot and character development! How many fighting games can boast that?

3. King of Fighters

Alright, alright, I am cheating a liiiittle bit with this one, beacause the latest instalment, “King of Fighters XIV”, features 3D models rather than 2D sprites, and as you may recall one of my rules was that all games I recommend need to be in full 2D. However, it’s honestly such a miracle that we’re even getting “King of Fighters XIV” that I think the exception is worth making. I mean, the last “King of Fighters” game we got was in 2010, before developer SNK went out of business in order to create pachinko machines. The fact that we’re only a month away from actually getting a proper sequel is amazing, and from the looks of it, even if it’s in 3D, the game very much looks and plays like classic 2D “King of Fighters” games. And if you still hate the 3D, then feel free to play any of those! They’re still great, even today!

How to Find a Good Online Slot

Hello, friends and fans! This site has been buzzing with activity recently, from both me and from you all, which is absolutely amazing! Quite a lot of you have actually contacted me through the big “Contact” button at the top of the page and have sent me messages, which I always appreciate, so keep doing it! I’ve pretty much received two types of messages, overall. One of them asks why, in a site called “Guilty GearDS”, I actually haven’t written anything about Guilty Gear, the DS or Guilty Gear on the DS. The other asks for more articles of the “How To” variety, such as my previous ones on finding a good online casino or finding a good online roulette. I’m happy to say that I’m responding to both requests – I’ve recently written an article about the origins of “Guilty Gear”, and now I’m writing another “How To” article! Aren’t I precious?

casinoAnyway, today I wanted to touch a bit on the various parts which make a slot good. Slots seem to be the most popular casino games, especially online, so I figured they were a good enough place to touch. Naturally, I don’t need to tell you that there’s several things you need to be looking out for when playing slots, but there’s only a few which are the most important ones, and that all depends on whether you want to play a slot for fun or for money. Sadly, I have yet to find a slot offers both in vast quantities – the slots that offer huge payouts and wins rarely have awesome bonus games, and vice versa.

Playing for Money

If you want to play for money, then there are two things you need to look out for – jackpots and RTP. First and foremost, you want to find the slot with the biggest RTP percentage possible. If you don’t know what RTP is, this article gives a very good explanation, so I won’t waste much time here on it. You’re looking for anything above 97%, preferably 98%. Most slots are set to 95% or 96%, so you may have some work ahead of you, but don’t give up! The other thing you need to be looking for is a jackpot, and a huge one at that. We’re looking for a grand jackpot of at least a couple hundred thousand. A great example of a slot you can play for money is “Mega Moolah”, which I believe is currently the slot with the highest jackpot ever (don’t quote me on this, though – values change all the time).

Playing for Fun

Now, this is where it gets, well, fun! The first thing that you should look into are licensed slots, or, in other words, slots based on certain properties. They rely on the appeal of their source material to attract players, so they usually replace the jackpots and high RTPs with awesome bonus games where you replicate things that you’ve seen your favorite characters do. Just pick the slot that you like and play that, and if you don’t like it move on to the next one. Remember that you’re playing for FUN, so the most important thing here is that you leave satisfied! “South Park” is one of my favorite slots, if you’re a fan of the show, but if you’re not then “The Avengers” is pretty solid as well.

Origins of Guilty Gear

origins“Guilty Gear”, as we all know, is a franchise of fighting games which currently has about 17 games in it, depending on what you count and what you don’t. Minus a 4 year pause between 2008 and 2012 (the reason for which is an entirely different story that I don’t have time to get into here) we’ve been treated to a brand new “Guilty Gear” game, in one form or another, almost every year since 1998! That makes it one of the most lasting, enduring franchises of all, though if you look at the original game you wouldn’t believe it had the potential to start a series! Fighting games were a dime a dozen back in the late 90s, with Capcom absolutely DOMINATING the market with “Marvel Vs. Capcom”, “Rival Schools” and, of course, “Street Fighter”, which at the time was seeing its “Alpha 3” version. Daisuke Ishiwatari and his studio Arc System Works, however, decided to try their hand at something a little bit different. At the time, fighting games were busy trying to imitate one of two games. Japanese developers imitated Capcom’s “Street Fighter” series by making their characters more cartoony, yet still with a realistic look and feel to them despite their aesthetic, while Western developers imitated “Mortal Kombat” and its hyper-realistic and gory visuals. Ishiwatari, on the other hand, decided to see what would happen if they combined these two styles and mixed it in with a heavy dose of shonen manga. The result was “Guilty Gear: The Missing Link”.

Following the tenets left by Capcom, each of the game’s ten selectable fighters were inspired by anime and manga and were appropriately cartoony, but had their own feel and weight to them – you could feel them being really there. Unlike “Capcom” games, though, a lot of them brandished sharp weapons and weren’t afraid to use them! The overall aesthetic was inspired by manga and anime from the time period, and the resemblance is pretty obvious when you compare “The Missing Link” to anime such as “Ghost in the Shell”, “Ninja Scroll” or “Berserk”. The storyline was similarly exaggerated and over the top, little more than an excuse for the fighting to happen, but still pretending to have some sort of message. To put it shortly, in the early 2000s humanity created slaves known as Gears which would do all their chores for them, until the Gears naturally rebelled (as AI tends to do) and fought the humans, resulting in a war where the leader of the Gears, Justice, was imprisoned within a multi-dimensional prison, however that works. A surviving Gear, Testament, decides to resurrect Justice, which is why a tournament is held to discover the strongest person in the world who would be worthy of fighting Testament and Justice. Why they don’t just take all contestants and send them off against Justice I’ll never know, but hey, most videogames of that era didn’t have a particularly good storyline (“Metal Gear Solid” was the exception, not the rule).

I suppose I don’t need to tell you that that the game was a resounding success, with a ranking of 8/10 across the board (which was better than your typical fighting game at the time) and with reviewers calling it the best fighting game on the PS1, which is saying something considering most of Capcom’s fighters were for the PS1! The rest, as they say, is history!

The Lottery Still Takes the Cake

Lotto Is the Undisputed King of GamblingGeorge Bernard Shaw said: ‘In gambling the many must lose in order that the few may win’. Best way to be among the few? Play the lottery! The chances of you winning are indeed a lot smaller than when playing roulette or blackjack, but once you win, you win big. This is why I still believe that lottery is the best form of gambling and now, with the development of the Internet, you can get tickets, play and win online, without even having to leave the house.
There are many countries where people can simply buy and fill their tickets online, using nothing but their credit or debit card. This way of playing the lottery is both convenient and practical, not to mention that your chances of winning may be higher, depending on the type of lotto that you play. Take Ireland, for example, where you can take part in one of the 3 draws: Lotto, Daily Million and EuroMillions, according to irishlotteryonline.co.uk.
In the UK, the lottery is state-franchised by the Camelot Group, which has first received a licence back in 1994. The National Lottery is licenced and regulated by the National Lottery Commission, also established the same year by the Prime Minister John Mayor. Brits also have the option of playing online or by purchasing tickets from their local shops. You will be surprised to learn that only 45% of the ticket sales will be handed as prizes, but I assure you it is for a good cause, since no less than 28% goes to different charities and so do the unclaimed prizes. The latter will be kept by the National Lottery for 180 days and, if still unclaimed after this period expires, the prizes will also go to charity organizations.
In the United States, the lotteries are operated at state level. There are two near-national games – MegaMillions and Powerball. The latter hit the record for the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history – $1.5 billion for the January 13 draw. This comes as no surprise, given that it is legal to buy Powerball tickets online from everywhere in the world. Powerball’s minimum advertised jackpot is at a staggering $40 million, definitely a game changer for anyone who hits it. So what is there to say about their record jackpot? I can only imagine – or, should I say dream, how that amount would change my life. So, here my friend, lies the truth and the real king of gambling – lotto! I mean, you have to agree with me that playing lotto online is both fast and convenient and you could be a millionaire with a single click. The record-breaking jackpot was divided between 3 winners, one from California, the second ticket from Tennessee and the third one in Melbourne Beach, Florida.

888 Mogul Confirms Launch of Online Gambling Products in Denmark

888 Holdings have recently been granted the gambling licenses to offer their casino, sport and poker products in Denmark and Romania.

Casino games types

The Danish and Romanian players now have the chance to enjoy the secure, licensed and regulated online gambling products offered by 888 Holdings Plc. The company’s recent press release in the beginning of the month announced the launch of 888Casino, 888Poker and 888Sport in the newly regulated Romanian market and that this will be followed by another launch of their products in Denmark.

Chief operating officer Itai Frieberger was cited by iGamingBusiness in saying: ‘Thanks to the hard work of our team and the regulators involved, we are excited to offer our entertaining, secure and trusted gaming brands to players from Romania and Denmark. Launching in two regulated markets concurrently is another testimony of our ability to leverage our regulated technology and know-how in delivering our market-leading products’. ‘We are proud to offer the 888 marquee brands in these markets, reaffirming our strategy to become a dominant operator in global gaming regulations’, he added.

888 is a leading online gaming destinations and solutions provider that now offers its services in 19 languages in over 150 countries. Although their casino product includes titles from numerous other providers, such as NetEnt and Evoltuion Gaming, their main collection of games are powered by their own proprietary, Dragonfish. Titles like Millionaire Genie and Crazy Blackjack are a trademark of 888’s commitment to their users to offer a unique gaming experience. The same thing can be said about their bingo product, which is currently one of the most popular, especially in the United Kingdom.

888 Holdings was founded almost 20 years ago, in 1997 and has continue to enrich its products, thus accumulating over 25 million users on their online casino platform alone. Moreover, 888 is listed on the London Stock Exchange and its share are currently at trading at 168.00p.

What To Look For When Playing Roulette Online

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – roulette is THE casino game for me. I know that a lot of people like to associate casino with slots, poker or blackjack, but my mind will always drift to roulette as the game that represents casino the best. Why? Because it encompasses what casino gaming in general is all about – using gambling skills and a little bit of luck in order to beat a supposedly unbeatable system. And I’m not alone in this belief – roulette has gone from its humble beginnings as a game played in pubs and taverns during the French Revolution to one of the most popular casino games in the world, with millions of roulette tables spread across the globe. I don’t have concrete stats for this, but I can guarantee you that somewhere right now, at this very moment, a bunch of gamblers are looking at a spinning ball and hoping it’d land on 22 (hope you caught that reference).

many roulette games on your pcConsidering the game’s popularity, it’s no wonder that literally every single online casino has a version of it in some form or another. Now, keep in mind that, overall, most casinos use the exact same versions of the game, created and supported by game providers such as NetEnt or Playtech. On the other end, some casinos like to develop their own version of roulette, or commission one that’d be exclusive to them. As such, there really is no such thing as “choosing the best casino for roulette” – instead you should be looking for the best version of the game, one that may be shared between several casinos. As such, I can’t give you any particular recommendation – if you’re looking for those, I recommend this showcase of online casinos that offer a wide variety of roulette games. I can, however, tell you what to look for! So, without further ado, let’s examine what you should be keeping an eye out for!

Variety

Sure, every casino has a game of roulette, but the best ones have up to 10 versions of it! Just like with chocolate, they’re not super different, and maybe you can substitute one version for another, but let’s face it – while some won’t admit it, everyone has a favorite version of Roulette. Whether it’s American, French, European (wait, isn’t France in Europe? Ah well), multi-wheel, multi-player or, my favourite, Super Mega Hyper Ultra Roulette: Extreme Edition 2 (you should really try that one out). So if a particular casino doesn’t have your preferred version of Roulette, whatever that may be, you can be absolute sure that another casino will. Make no compromises!

Style

“What do you mean, style?”, you may be asking. “Style” refers to the overall presentation – graphics, feel, smoothness of animation, angles, all that good stuff. Does the game look and feel good? Now, obviously this is rather subjective – a certain game may appeal to a lot of people, while others might find it below their standards. And vice versa – some might be looking for a more simple experience which prioritizes speed and efficiency over good looks. Again – find the roulette that looks best to YOU, and, as I said before, don’t compromise – the online casino business is competitive for a reason. If a certain casino isn’t good enough for you, there’s at least one or two others that are, maybe more depending on where you live!

Live Roulette

Even if you prefer playing against the computer rather than against a real live dealer and a physical roulette, the sheer presence of a high-quality live roulette at your casino of choice is usually a good standard of quality. Life casino in general tends to be pretty expensive, way more than just supporting games controlled by algorithms, so it’s usually only the best of the best that have a live casino. And besides, even if you generally prefer to play against AI, it doesn’t hurt to try a live roulette every once in a while, right? Who knows, you might end up enjoying it a whole lot more than you originally thought you would!

Cincinnati Kid

How to find a good online casino

As you know, years ago I was quite content with limiting my gambling experience to poker – offline poker at that. We’re talking about late Friday Night gatherings with 3-4 friends, each of us throwing a fifty (except for the host, who had to provide the booze and food for the event and thus wasn’t required to bet) and seeing who’d come out on top for the night, all while chatting about mindless stuff and engaging in the occasional political debate. But after I got transferred and had to move, I suddenly found myself unable to play or even meet up with my friends, at least not nearly as regularly as I used to. Gambling is in my blood, though, so I knew I had to get my fix somewhere, but real casinos were a bit too expensive and posh for my taste. I considered poker sites for a bit, but after trying them out I quit soon afterwards – playing poker with faceless strangers on the Internet just isn’t for me. But I still had to gamble somewhere, so ultimately I decided to settle on online casino games. Little did I know that there were literally dozens upon dozens of sites available to me, each looking different than the last. And while I did find a couple of guides on where to start, I didn’t find any of them particularly useful. So now that I’ve been in the midst of things for a while, I thought I’d create the guide that I wish I could’ve seen back when I was starting out.

So, how do I start?

Your first job would be to find all online casinos available in your country. If you’re British or American you’re going to have a pretty wide range of choices available to you, but if you live in a smaller country, say, Bulgaria or the Netherlands, chances are there could only be a few online casinos available to you that are either native or encompassing all of Europe. There are some pretty strict legislations when it comes to international casinos, so most sites only allow citizens of certain countries to sign up. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing stopping you from using a VPN or a proxy and signing up anyway, but you’re never going to get any winnings, so what’s the point? If you live in the UK, here is a website dedicated to help you find a good online casino. If you live in another country, just use Google and I’m sure you can find a good equivalent. Now that you’ve got your list of casinos, it’s time to start cutting it down!

What are the criteria for good online casinos?

First and foremost, you’re looking for legitimacy. Non-legitimate casinos are not only not going to pay you – they might actually steal your credit card information, which I can tell you from first-hand experience is not something that’s very fun to deal with. So, how do you tell which casinos are legal and which aren’t? Well, legal ones are usually licensed with the government – that’s how they’re legal. Every country has its own licensing commission that thoroughly researches the casino before issuing it a license verifying its authenticity. In the UK, that’s done by the Gambling Commission, while in the US it’s done by the Division of Gaming Enforcement. In either case, you can look up the casino on their site to see if they’re registered, but usually each online casino will have a link to their certificate in their footer, like this:

32red

betfair

tropicana

Additionally, you might notice that some sites have an eCogra logo as well. eCogra is an independent organization that tests out the various games and determines their RTP (Return to Player) – basically, how much they pay out. In simple terms, the higher the percentage, the more likely you are to win. While all sites are tested by eCogra (or a similar organization), not all have chosen to make the information public. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if I were you, I’d prioritize the casinos with RTPs I can clearly see.

Alright, what next?

Next… Well, that’s up to you! You should’ve shortened your list to no more than 10-15 candidates at this point, if you’re living in a country with a big casino market (and if not, chances are you only have 2-3 choices). The rest is really up to you and your personal preferences. Do you like playing slots? Go find a casino with tons of slots! Do you usually play blackjack? Prioritize a casino with good RTP for blackjack. Another factor you should weigh in is how much of a bonus the casino gives to new players. The standard is a 100% match up to a certain sum, but most casinos tend to be different in that regard. You want your bonus to be high, but not too high, as a giant bonus usually means that the casino has little else to offer that would entice you, and once you blow through the bonus amount you’d have little reason to stay. When it comes to promotions, casinos with offers for regular players and not just for new ones should definitely be prioritized. But for the most part, as I said, it’s mostly based on your own personal preference for games. So get out there and find yourself a casino!

The Cincinnati Kid