Howdy, everyone! I hope you all have recovered from your candy comas and/or the confirmation that Klavier is not German, whichever hit you harder (Are those Gavinners fans I see out there with pitchforks? *gulp*). Either way, get ready for another of Mr. Takumi’s AA2 dev blogs! This entry from 2002 is about how he came up with the idea for Psyche-Locks, which takes the phrase “literally keeping secrets under lock and key” to a whole new level.

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Right around the time I finished writing all of the dialogue, I got a call one morning from the game’s producer just as I arrived at work.

When I got to the 12^th floor, the producer was just standing there with his back to me in front of one of the giant windows along the wall. He was wearing a leather jacket and a pair of leather boots with a leather wallet in the pocket of his leather pants – it was an entire ensemble made of leather. As he indulged in the rich aroma coming from the cup of coffee in his hand, he flicked two of the venetian blind’s slats apart, and squinted at the light from the morning sun as he took a look outside. His voice rumbled lightly and, as though he were lost in thought, he quietly said, “I want you to add a new gameplay mechanic to the investigation sections…”

Suddenly, I had a vision of the Psyche-Lock system.

The single most important concept behind the series’ gameplay is its simplicity — I strive to keep things simple so that even my mother can have fun while playing these games. That’s why finding and exposing lies is the sole gameplay mechanic that lies at the heart of every Ace Attorney game. If the games were any more complicated than that, I doubt my mother would be able to keep up. In fact, I’m sure of it. Sticking with this core concept, I thought it only appropriate to add a “find the lies” element to the investigation sections, too, after which, it became obvious as to what kind of gameplay mechanic would be needed.

Of course, ideas don’t usually come to me this easily. It really was a miraculous bout of good luck to be struck with inspiration like that. On the other hand, I didn’t want to just rush into the whole thing with a, “Sure. In fact, I have an idea already.” So I slouched down a little, looked down at my feet, lightly bit on my lower lip, and waited a few seconds while I pretended to be lost in thought myself. Then, with a note of uncertainty in my voice, I finally replied, “That’s a tall order… but I’ll try to come up with something. Can you give me three days?”

…But really, the Psyche-Lock system was more or less born of this exchange.

However, while it was relatively easy to formulate the idea itself, it took over a month to actually pull everything together and put the finishing touches on it. The biggest obstacle we, as a team, had to face was “Just how do you visually represent Psyche-Locks?” It was a very difficult question to answer, but I believed that if we could pull it off, the rest of the game’s production would go smoothly. After all, this game was basically an extension of the previous installment.

…But nothing ever goes as planned, do they? In fact, before we could finish making AA2, we were hit with two gigantic dilemmas, which I’ll share more about next time.

Oh yes, it’s that time for some more news on the Omega characters coming your way soon. Continue on to see what Ayano-san has to say about the characters and the crazy new moves added to their repertoire. 

Hey everyone, Tomoaki Ayano here!

I’ve been working pretty hard lately, going to the tournament in Singapore, attending national tournaments here in Japan, and so on. I haven’t even had time to rest on Saturdays and Sundays. This past weekend, though, was a three-day weekend here in Japan, so I finally had a chance to kick back and relax…

…But now it’s time to get back to the grind with part three of the Ultra SFIV Omega Edition introductions! The theme this week is “Newcomers,” so we’ll be looking at Abel, C. Viper, Fuerte, Rufus, Cammy, Dee Jay, Fei Long, and T. Hawk!

Abel

Shoulder Tackle: Yup! Just as the name says, it’s a shoulder tackle. You can hold the button down to charge it—charge it to the max and you’ll get an increase in parameters, as well as armor break properties. You can cancel the charge by pressing a punch button, which also makes this effective as a feint move.

The EX version will send the opponent flying for a wall bounce, which sets up some combo opportunities afterwards!

Abel has seen a lot of changes—while he’s lost Change of Direction, he’s gained new command normal and special moves. Abel now fights like a mixed-martial artist with a focus on throws. I believe that Abel fans will get a kick out of this new way to play him!

My inspiration: What you see is what you get!

C. Viper

Burst Heel: A new special move that’s similar to Guile’s Flash Kick. It’s got a lot of priority, so I see it being used like a psychic DP.

The EX version has invincibility, giving Viper a new anti-air option. She can also cancel the second hit, like she can for her Thunder Knuckle, which lets her combo into various options. This not only gives her new ways to attack, but also opens up combo possibilities as well.

She also gets Thunder Fist, a strike-move that expands her combo options.

 

My inspiration: A more mature Viper who has further refined her fire and lightning abilities!

 

El Fuerte

EX Habanero Dash: Fuerte now has options for all six buttons during his EX Habanero Dash. This is his FP option, the Fajita Buster.

This version, performed from the EX Dash, is done on the ground without Fuerte jumping into the air. Get a good read on your opponent and choose wisely!

Fuerte also gets a new special move, the Flying Nachos. Hmm…I’m not sure I would call the body part he’s hitting them with a Nacho but this move certainly seems familiar, doesn’t it?

Fuerte’s movement specials have been improved and he has also gained a high jump. If you thought he was hard to catch before…!

My inspiration: A Mexican luchador running wild on you!

 

Rufus

Dynasty Dash: A special move performed with the punch buttons that moves Rufus forward, changing up his attack style.

He slides forward—check out that low profile!

The LP version ends with the Mach Back Knuckle. It’s fast, but it doesn’t hit crouchers.

The MP version ends with the Peerless Palm.

And the FP version ends with the Premium Tackle. It starts up slow but has armor break properties.

Rufus has some pretty funky moves names and these three are no exception, don’t you think?

Heh heh. We’ve also changed up his existing special moves, taking into account how Dynasty Dash changes his game. Together with his new target combos he’s changed quite a bit—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s a completely new character (a new, new character?!).

My inspiration: The portly speed bug, reborn!

Cammy

Killer Bee Stinger: A new special move that launches the opponent up in the air with a kick.

Cammy can follow up on the airborne opponent with combos.

This special move takes advantage of Cammy’s excellent mobility.

She also has a special version of her Cannon Strike, Target Strike, that will cause a hard knockdown from the air, and we’ve completely reworked her Hooligan Combination too. I’ll tell you more about that if I get another chance. Heh heh.

Just as her “Killer Bee” nickname implies, we’ve modified Cammy to be a character that primarily attacks from the air.

My inspiration: Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

 

Fei Long

Ryuogeki

This, to put it simply, is a super-powerful backfist! It leaves Fei Long wide open if it misses, but it deals plenty of damage and has armor break properties. It’s a move that really showcases the “shaking fist” kung-fu image we’ve come to expect from Fei Long. The EX version will wall-bounce your opponent for extended combo opportunities.

Syoenryu is a flaming uppercut that stops opponents in their tracks and launches them up into the air. Of course, he can follow up afterwards with combo attacks.

We wanted to give Fei Long more one-hit moves and so move him away from being a character that revolves around his Rekkaken game. I’m sure you’ll have fun with him if you give him a try.

My inspiration: A hot-blooded kung-fu master!

 

Dee Jay

Air Slasher

You can’t tell just by looking at the picture, but in Omega we really wanted to emphasize Dee Jay’s dancing, which is why we’ve changed him from a charge character to a command one. That’s right, all of his moves—from Machine Upper to Double Rolling Sobat—are now command moves.

Waning Moon: Dee Jay goes airborne and comes down with a crescent-moon kick. This gives Dee Jay a new move for getting in.

He’s also got new command normals and target combos, which really makes him feel like a kickboxer. The change from a charge character to a command one is enough to make Dee Jay feel like a brand new character in Omega Edition.

My inspiration: Dee Jay getting back to his Jamaican roots!

 

T. Hawk

Earth Rage

This move strikes the ground, sending out a shockwave. It’s very similar to Viper’s Seismo Hammer. The EX version sends out three blasts, ranging from close to long range. T. Hawk has always had problems with characters playing keep-away, but now he has a new tool to help him fight better at distances!

Thunder Bird: An EX version of the Mexican Typhoon that uses two bars of meter. Grab your opponent, use a Tomahawk Buster to launch them into the air, and…

…grab them from mid-air and slam them on the ground with the Mexican Typhoon! Since it uses two bars we’ve made it just as powerful as it looks!

We’ve also adjusted the inputs for his existing special moves to make them more intuitive and easier to use. In Omega Edition, T. Hawk differs from his regular Ultra version in that he has both close and long range options. Will this make the gentle giant a force to be reckoned with in Omega?!

My inspiration: A Hawk who’s a danger up close and from afar!

That wraps things up for the third installment of our Omega character introductions! Before moving on though, I’d just like to say a few words about our methodology for adding new moves.

We do give careful consideration to the moves we add, and we also try to retain the functionality of the existing moves. We’re aiming to make a game where all of the moves are viable in one way or other, and that’s as difficult as it sounds. Of course, if we get too cautious, then Omega will lose some of its “Omega-ness”! So here on the Omega team we’re always going back and forth with our discussions about what’s best.

Next week we’ll be covering Sakura, Rose, Dan, Guy, Cody, Adon, and Rolento. The theme? You guessed it—the Alpha series fighters!

Over this past Halloween weekend, we received a number of pumpkin carving submissions through our  Monster Hunter Facebook page, and even though we’re already in November, I wanted to highlight how cool these turned out to be:

The pumpkin above is probably the most iconic out of the bunch, depicting the classic smiling Felyne face. It was carved by Justin D.

This next one isn’t exactly a pumpkin carving, but it’s still very very  cool, made by Manuel A:

Get it? Barioth… Cool…

Here’s another great and simple carving: Cha Cha by Grant C.

And my favorite, just because it hits so many right notes for a hardcore  MH  fan, such as myself:

It’s a Mosgharl helmet! In the game, this would require a rare item called  Bumblepumpkin to craft; and the artist here, Wildartist83 , used an actual pumpkin to make this. Fantastic! =)

So yeah, I know this is a few days after Halloween, but I hope you enjoyed these pumpkin carvings.

And if you missed our Friday Halloween post, read it  here – there are 2 amaaaaaazing animations for ya.

Ah, Halloween! A month of ghoulish delight and grim scenery, perfect for a stream of Demon’s Cre… oh, Halloween was last week? Well crap. Uh… how about a Demon’s Crest stream anyway?

This SNES gem remains one of my favorite titles of 1994 (a great year for games, to be sure) and I’m gonna stream a big ol’ chunk of it today at 4pm Pacific (7pm EST). Join us on the Twitch page and watch along!