All rise – court is back in session with the Phoenix Wright figma from Good Smile Company! We’ve talked about Good Smile’s “Nendoroid” figures in the past, featuring characters such as Chris Redfield and Mega Man X , and today we turn the court’s attention to a recent addition to their “figma” line with none other than the ace attorney himself! More info and images will be submitted to the court right after the jump, and will surely be free of desk slamming and finger pointing. Right, Mr. Wright?

Featuring Phoenix in his classic blue suit, you’ll be able to recreate your favorite scenes from the franchise with plenty of poseable joints, hand parts, and even facial expressions. Included props allow you to review a piece of evidence, and then come to sudden, shocking realizations when Edgeworth updates it (screen flash and crashing sounds not included). The included pedestal is perfect for slamming Phoenix’s hands down to make a point, and there’s even a cup of coffee, likely gifted from a certain bitter-brew-loving prosecutor.

Included Japanese speech bubbles for Phoenix’s famous phrases can also give him that extra oomph behind his poses!  Curious what each one says? We’ve got you covered:

ç-°è­°ã‚ã‚Š! – Igiari! – Objection!
ãらãˆ! – Kurae! – Take That!
å¾…ã£ãŸ! – Matta! – Hold It!

As an added bonus, pre-orders made through the Good Smile Online Shop will also get an “embarrassed” face plate as a bonus when these figures ship out in May of 2017. Pre-orders through the Good Smile Online Shop close on December 8th, so in the eternal words of The Thinker: “I think the time is now to lock in your order.”

Huh? Well… I may be paraphrasing slightly, Your Honor, but – oh come on, don’t give me a penalty, I’ll have to re-load my save!

Looking for more Ace Attorney goodness? Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is available now for the 3DS!

At Capcom Vancouver we’re proud of the games that we make and even more proud about the people we get to make them with. Today we’re taking a look at one of those people behind the games as we sit down with Studio Director Joe Nickolls.  

What does a Studio Director do?  

I’m responsible for the day-to-day operations of the studio—of the products we make, who’s making them and how much they cost, the culture, vision of the studio and that kind of stuff. Like William Wallace except without the battlefield or the blue face paint. Or the cinematic heroism. But the enthusiasm! That I have.

What’s your typical work week look like?  

I work with our development teams and check in with the status of products that we’re making here at Capcom; I’m the face of our interactions with our publishing partners, Microsoft and Sony and that kind of thing, and I meet with them every couple of days. I work on the budgeting and overall operations and finance with my finance partner, and work on staff initiatives and performance planning with the HR department. I have a great team of producers and designers here that guide the creative process on the games that we make.

I also spend a lot of time thinking of the big picture, kind of plotting out the next five or six years here at Capcom. We do that every month—we look at how we’re doing against our five year goal. And I work with Japan and Capcom USA to make sure we’re all aligned on the products we’re making and where the studio is going.

How did you get into the gaming industry?  

It was kind of a fluke. I started out in radio here in Vancouver, on air at Z95.3 FM and then I went to work for a record company in promotions and marketing and I did that for about four years. One night I went to a pub with some friends, and they brought some friends and one of their next-door neighbors came and he was an executive producer at Radical Entertainment and we hit it off. Radical interviewed me for a marketing job and halfway through the interview they said “You should be a producer,” and I said “Okay, I can do that.” I had no idea what I was doing—I just went for it, and fortunately turned out to be good at it, and I’ve been in this business for the past 18 years now, and I love it.

W hat part of your job gets you most excited?  

I really like building things—building teams, and helping to build up the studio here. I get my greatest satisfaction from finding great people to come work at the studio, and when I see that—the people, and the projects, and the atmosphere—come together… I love it, I really do. I love people who are passionate about what they do, that have a great personality that can add to the environment of the studio. That’s what I love doing the most. I love finding people who can do amazing work and just letting them get in here and do it, letting me get out of the way.

What about Capcom Vancouver gets you most excited?  

The thing that gets me most excited about the studio is where we’ve come from and how far we’ve come. When we started, we were an unknown entity, and we were unknown for a long time. And now we’ve grown into a studio that people pay attention to what we do and who we are. Looking at how far all the staff have come, and the amazing things they’ve done for the studio—that’s my favourite thing about the studio. We seemed to come out of nowhere, and our creative teams are making a splash—with new games and new ideas. I can’t wait to share the news of the other great products we have in development here.

What’s your favourite place in Vancouver?

Anywhere near the ocean! Whether it’s Stanley Park or down in Jericho. I’ve got a French Bulldog that never runs out of energy, so there’s lots of walks with him!

What is your favourite video game?  

SSX Tricky . It was the first time I played a game that I went “Oh my god, I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.” I think the thing I liked about it is it wasn’t really a snowboarding game as much as it was a racing game with crazy music and tricks.

What do you do outside of games?  

I’ve got two daughters that keep me pretty busy, one of them is studying fashion design and art history, and the other is an aspiring actress and Broadway star! I’m somewhat of a foodie, so my wife and I are always looking for new places to try.  And I love being out in the city. I’m a city guy and I’ve always been a city guy.

Also, I’ve started to collect art with my wife so we like to go to art galleries and see if we can find something to add to our crowded walls.

What would be your foodie resturant recommendation for Vancouver?

My favourite resturant in the city is actually two, but they’re sort of the same restaurant because they’re joined. La Quercia and L’ufficio .

It’s an Italian restaurant on 4th and Alma. I probably go there once a week! We’ve become locals who are always there. It’s hands down the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever tried, and probably one of the best restaurants period.

The Resident Evil 20th Anniversary U.S. Truck Tour has a few more stops to make, heading through the American Southwest before making its final stop back in sunny California. The tour has brought PSVR demos of the upcoming Resident Evil 7 biohazard to thousands of fans at stops across the country, with a unique Snapchat filter only available at the truck tour, and special merchandise in tow! Since the initial kick-off in San Francisco, the truck has now made stops in 26 different states, with additional stops in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada coming up before the final stop in California on November 16th. Check out the official site to see if it’s coming to a location near you, and read on for a recap of the last few stops!

On October 30, Richmond, Kentucky saw its fair share of zombie hordes thanks to these fun paper masks we handed out at each event. Richmond also had plenty of anti-B.O.W. agents on the case when fans in cosplay stopped by.

A couple days later in Little Rock, Arkansas, we had another dedicated group of cosplayers show up to show off their excellent S.T.A.R.S. and Umbrella uniforms. As with previous and upcoming stops, fans were able to check out the “Lantern” demo in PSVR, in addition to taking on special challenges in Resident Evil 4, 5 , and 6 for special prizes!

Most locations have had a store as well with some exclusive merchandise for sale including t-shirts, jackets, commemorative coins, and plush toys based on the infamous Licker enemies that debuted in Resident Evil 2. It seems like even Wesker couldn’t resist checking out the tour when it stopped by Oklahoma City, Oklahoma!

If you can’t make it out to the tour, don’t forget that Resident Evil 7 biohazard will be available for Xbox One, PC, and PS4 with the included optional PlayStation VR mode when it launches on January 24th, 2017. You can also check out the intense “Kitchen” demo, available now on the PlayStation VR demo disc and as a digital download in North America, or check out the free “Beginning Hour” teaser demo, currently available on PS4 .

Get decked out with some fancy new gear and take on magnificent monsters with the pack of Free DLC to download on your Nintendo 3DS for Monster Hunter Generations.

This month’s pack brings us some highly coveted items, quests and skills! Most notably we have the Hyper Gold Rathian quest, the Yu-Gi-Oh! collaboration set for your Felynes and one of the most powerful Prowler skills in the game: World’s Strongest ! Trade your amor for a great increase in attack and defense, as explained by Gaijinhunter in this video:

You can find the full list of quests—they’re all High Rank this time!—and rewards below:

REGULAR QUESTS

Quest : Yu-Gi-Oh: A Beautiful Wyvern
Objective : Slay a Shagaru Magala
Rewards:
 F Dark Meowgic Set

Quest : Magi: Rescue from the Fall
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Gore Magala
Rewards:
 Amol Saiqa
 Aladdin’s Wand

Quest : Baki: Biggest vs. Strongest
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Gammoth
Rewards:
 Chivalry
 Baki Combat Jutsu
 Demon Visage
  Bristling Mane
  Ultimate Garb
  Ultimate Pleats
  Champion’s Set

Notice a trend here? These are all special collaborations with popular Japanese anime and manga. In fact, there are 7 of these fun crossovers in Monster Hunter Generations, and they’re all finally available for you to download and craft. Here’s a short piece that highlights them all:

Quest : The Exploding Flame King
Objective : Slay a Teostra
Rewards:
 Exploding Blades
  Zodias Set (designed by Hiro Mashima, known for Fairy Tail and Monster Hunter Orage)

Quest : DMC: The Seltas Queen’s Cry
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Seltas Queen
Rewards:
 F Dante Set

Quest : Capcom: Brilliant Orchestra
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Najarala
Rewards:
 F Melodic Set

Quest : Capcom: White & Black
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Mizutsune and a Hyper Nargacuga
Rewards:
 Felyne and Melynx

Quest : A Golden Moon Rises
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Gold Rathian

Quest : Moonlit Tryst
Objective : Hunt a Silver Rathalos and a Gold Rathian

Quest : Retreat Run-in
Objective : Hunt a Hyper Royal Ludroth, a Hyper Plesioth and a Hyper Lagiacrus

Quest : The Untamed Mountains
Objective : Hunt a Duramboros and a Gammoth

Quest : The Hammer and the Pike
Objective : Hunt an Uragaan and an Agnaktor

Quest : The Formless One
Objective : Slay a Chameleos

Quest : Volcano Item Delivery
Objective : Obtain 7,000 Wycademy Points

——————————————————————————————–

PROWLER QUESTS

Quest : Catch a Rathalos by the Tail
Objective : Sever Rathalos’s tail

——————————————————————————————–

EXTRAS

19x Guild Card Titles
6x Guild Card Backgrounds

——————————————————————————————–

SPECIAL PALICOES

Morgiana
Nekojiro

——————————————————————————————–

To access the free DLC, load your copy of Monster Hunter Generations and select the Download menu from the start screen and follow the steps to download all the treats. After that, load your character and talk to the following NPCs for each type of content:

• Take on Regular Quests and Prowler Quests from the Wycademy Gal at the Hunters Hub;
• Take on Challenge Quests from the Arena Instructor at the Hunters Hub;
• Purchase Extras by using Wycademy Points from the Trader at the Palico Ranch (select “Limited Goods” option);
• Hire Special Palicoes from the Meowstress, Grandmeow or Grandmyama at all four villages
• Claim Item Packs from your Housekeeper (select the “Claim Items” option)

If you’ve missed any of the previous DLC packs, including Quests, Felynes, Item Packs, etc., don’t worry; you can still download them, and I highly recommend it. December 2nd is the next Free DLC drop, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, happy hunting! 

Here at Capcom Vancouver we have a lot of creative and talented people. Normally we spend our days using their abilities to make some of the best video games in the industry, but once a year our creative energy turns to Halloween. Our annual costume contest is epic, with staff spending countless hours of their non-work lives crafting unique costumes for a chance to win bragging rights for the year.

This year saw record participation as new arrivals to the studio gave the old professionals a run for their money. From Stranger Things and the US Presidential Election to Star Warsthe costumes crossed pop culture and video games.

Thank you to everyone at the studio who took part, and who helped make this such a creative place to work!

Spooky, shocking, or slaying – Capcom’s got you covered with not one, but two Halloween-themed PC sales running now through November 1st! No tricks, just treats, as both Steam and the Humble Store are running special discounts on some of Capcom’s best, including recent releases like Dead Rising ( Humble Store / Steam )! These spooky low prices will only last until November 1st, so hit the jump for a full list!

Steam

Humble Store

It’s nearly Halloween and the team at Dead Rising 4 has released an all new trailer to celebrate the season of frights.

Arguably the “king” of costuming, new Frank West fashions include hits such as Santa’s little helper, a fire breathing dinosaur, a cowboy of the wild west, and a Capcom classic, Akuma.

To complement the wardrobe, Frank has more tricks and more treats than ever before and there’s no limit to the crazy combos you can create in this action packed, heart-pounding experience. Plow, slice and explode your way through massive hordes of zombies in this year’s biggest zombie apocalypse.

Pre-order your copy of Dead Rising 4: Deluxe Edition with Season Pass for $79.99 , or pre-order the Standard Edition for $59.99, both digitally or from participating retailers worldwide to receive your incentives.

Find all new ways to slay this holiday when Dead Rising 4 releases globally on Xbox One and Windows 10 on December 6, 2016 and December 8, 2016 in Japan.

Good Smile Company is back at it again! Well known for their Nendoroid line of figures, Good Smile recently unveiled two new figures that Capcom fans are sure to love. Chris Redfield is decked out in his classic S.T.A.R.S. uniform from Resident Evil, while Maverick Hunter X is available in his full armor from Mega Man X! We’ve got additional images and info on where to grab these figures right after the jump!

As with many Nendoroid figures, both Chris and X come with plenty of ways to pose them and plenty of accessories to pose them with.

(Click to enlarge images)

Chris Redfield
Chris’s figure perfectly captures his classic S.T.A.R.S. uniform and appearance from Resident Evil, and includes a combat knife, handgun, and, in true Resident Evil series fashion, a rocket launcher for when you absolutely have to get rid of a pesky Tyrant. Chris ships out March 2017, but pre-order now from the Good Smile Online Shop to grab a first edition run, which comes with a commemorative Resident Evil 20^th anniversary base as well as an exclusive red herb.

(Click to enlarge images)

Mega Man X (Full Armor)
Anyone who played Mega Man X surely remembers the thrill of tracking down each of Dr. Light’s capsules and earning X’s full set of armor piece by piece. Fortunately, this X figure comes fully equipped with all of his upgrades alongside a variety of shot types.  However, even the mighty Spiral Crush Buster pales in comparison to the ultimate Maverick slayer: the hadouken! Pre-order now from the Good Smile Online Shop for a bonus acrylic 1-Up plate when X ships in April 2017!

Each figure pre-ordered through Good Smile Company includes unique bonuses, but pre-orders are only available for a limited time. Be sure to head over to the site to check them out and lock in your pre-order today!

Great news, classic role-playing game fans! Starting today, Breath of Fire and game music aficionados in North America, Europe and Oceania alike can purchase and download the original soundtracks to the first three Breath of Fire games!

Breath of Fire I ~ III Original Soundtrack Collection, previously exclusive to Japan, can now be downloaded on the Capcom Store – altogether that’s a spicy 192 DRM-free MP3 tracks for just $14.99!

The first three BoF games were composed by the prolific Capcom Sound Team “Alph Lyla”, who also worked on a slew of other beloved Capcom games. You might recognize their aliases in the credits of some of your favorite retro titles:

Breath of Fire (SNES)

• Yasuaki “Bun Bun” Fujita (Mega Man 3, Final Fight 1 & 2 )
• Mari “Mari” Yamaguchi (Mega Man 5, Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts )
• Minae “Ojalin” Fujii (Mega Man 4, DuckTales 2 )
• Yoko “Piiâ’ª” Shimomura (Street Fighter II, Final Fight )
• Tatsuya “ANIE” Nishimura (Final Fight 2 )

Breath of Fire II (SNES)

• Yuko “YUKO.K” Takehara (Mega Man 6 & 7, Marvel vs. Capcom )

Breath of Fire III (PS1)

• Akari “Akari.K –Lemon” Kaida (Mega Man & Bass, Mega Man Battle Network )
• Yoshino Aoki (Mega Man Battle Network 2, 3 & 6 )

Leading up to Breath of Fire’s North American SNES debut in 1994, Capcom was already a champion of videogame music. At this point, the memorable tunes of  Mega Man  and  Street Fighter II were constantly inspiring countless fans. Since  Breath of Fire  was our company’s first 16-bit flagship RPG, it’s no wonder the composers wanted to go all-out with the score.

And boy, they sure did! Ever since my childhood days, the music to this series continues to fill me with a sense of awe and wonder.

Breath of Fire’s  music is largely classical and orchestral in nature. The main concept behind the music is “piano concerto,” in which a piano is accompanied by a whole orchestra. This is immediately evident with the first few tracks you’ll hear in the game, such as the dramatically moving “White Dragon” during the prologue and “Blood Relation”, which hits you with its wondrous Chopin-like arpeggios (a quick succession of notes going up and then back down) the moment you begin a new game. When the trumpets and strings of the world map theme “Starting the Journey” kicked in, I truly felt like I was in the boots, tunic and cape of Ryu, the game’s dragon-morphing hero.

The story in Breath of Fire II is darker than its predecessor, and the music reflects that in many moments. The title screen music “The Destined Child” will raise the hairs on the back of your neck with its ominous onset, and then instill you with a feeling of triumph with its rousing orchestral outro. Fans will appreciate the game’s battle music – themes like “Cross Counter” and “I’ll Do It!” could have easily found a place within any SNES  Mega Man X  title with their rock-solid (pun intended) guitar licks and fast-paced drumming.

Finally, the Breath of Fire III soundtrack took the idea of a classical JRPG soundtrack and turned that concept completely on its head, providing pop and jazz fusion that gelled perfectly with the game’s colorful sprites and 32-bit environments. Try putting on the battle theme “Do Your Best!” for a pick-me-up; the groovy bass and rock organ solo are sure to please. Or, if you need something more mellow, “Casually” is the perfect “chill” world map theme to kick up your feet and relax to.

Whether you’re in the mood for the orchestral and rockin’ flair of Breath of Fire and Breath of Fire II or the pop/jazz fusion of Breath of Fire III, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy. But enough of my rambling; grab the soundtracks here and enjoy!

And just in case you’re in the mood to conquer evil, explore fantastical worlds filled with talking anthropomorphic animals and morph into powerful, fire-breathing dragons, Breath of Fire just landed on the New Nintendo 3DS eShop, and can also be purchased on Wii U alongside Breath of Fire II. Breath of Fire III, re-released earlier this year, can be purchased on PlayStation Store for PSP, PS Vita and PSTV.

Here’s some red hot news for those of you who own a New Nintendo 3DS and love classic JRPGs. Breath of Fire is now available on the North American Virtual Console!

The game will run you $7.99 USD, and I hear the Zenny-to-USD conversions are looking favorable these days. Being the first RPG I ever played as a six-year old kid, the original Breath of Fire holds an enormously special place in my heart, so in celebration of this 1994 SNES classic’s portable release, let me tell you why this game kicks so much butt!

1) DRAGONS!

As you can tell, Breath of Fire stars Ryu, a blue-haired silent protagonist who belongs to the Light Dragon Clan – a peaceful bunch of human-like dwellers who prefer to keep their dragon-morphing abilities in check. But when Emperor Zog and the evil Dark Dragon Clan lay waste to Ryu’s village and intend to reawaken a goddess to fulfill their greedy desires, it’s up to Ryu to reawaken his dragon transformation abilities and restore peace to the world.

Ryu’s dragon transformations are a sight to behold – they give him an added strategic boost in battle, and, simply put, his dragon forms are the ultimate showcase of player empowerment.

2) A fascinatingly fantastical world

While we’re all pretty used to day and night cycles in videogames in 2016, the fact that a 1994 RPG like Breath of Fire was able to have this was a really cool effect that gives the world a sense of realism. Naturally, townspeople (and guards…hint hint) will be asleep and have their doors locked at night, and certain events and people may appear depending on the time of day.

The world map is filled to the brim with hidden nooks and crannies and long-lost landmarks that are just begging to be re-discovered, and the game’s blend of humans and anthropomorphic dragon, wolf, bird, ox, fish, serpent and mole populace add to an already diverse and interesting lore.

3) All of your characters matter

We’ve already covered Ryu’s dragon abilities, but it doesn’t stop there. Not only is Ryu a pro fisherman, but his seven companions all have important abilities and unique personalities at play throughout the entire game:

• Nina is a winged healer that eventually gains the ability to morph into a bird and fly your crew all over the world map.
• Bo is a wolf-like Grade-A archer who can hunt wildlife on the world map for extra healing items.
• Karn is a sly thief and master of unlocking who not only can disarm booby-trapped chests, but can fuse with other characters to morph into powerful mutated creatures.
• Gobi may be a greedy businessman/fish, but he’ll eventually learn how to turn into a big fish underwater to take the party to new areas.
• Ox is an enormous, muscular tough-guy who can punch through walls and rustle trees to gain access to new places and items.
• Bleu is an ancient, sultry, all-powerful sorceress who can turn the tide of battle with her devastating magic.
• Mogu the mole can burrow into dirt patches and uncover hidden items on the world map.

4) An outstanding soundtrack

The game’s orchestral music, composed by Capcom Sound Team’s “Alph Lyla”, is an underrated gem. Not only is the game filled to the brim with catchy melodies and grandiose crescendos, but there’s a neat feature with how battle and world map themes are handled. After reaching the halfway point in the game, the game’s battle theme will change completely. Additionally, after certain major plot points, the world map theme will change as a means to reinvigorate the player. 

By the way, we just released the first three Breath of Fire soundtracks as a MP3 collection on the Capcom Store. Check it out!

5) Cameos!

Without giving too much away, you’re bound to find a few familiar faces as you progress through your journey, especially if you’re a Street Fighter II, Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Mega Man fan!

Excited yet? Now it’s your turn to experience the magic of this game. Take a deep breath [of fire] and grab the SNES classic now on the Nintendo eShop on your New Nintendo 3DS and/or Wii U eShop for $7.99.

And if you’ve played this one before, whether back in the 90s on Super Nintendo, at the turn of the century on Game Boy Advance, or recently on Wii U, I’d love to hear your favorite memories about it in the comments below!

The Resident Evil 20th Anniversary U.S. Truck Tour has been bringing PSVR demos of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, challenges for Resident Evil 4, 5, and 6, a unique Snapchat filter, and plenty of commemorative merchandise all across the country! Since the initial kick-off in San Francisco, the truck has been traveling across the United States, with stops in sixteen different states so far. Check out the official site for the latest locations, and read on for a recap of where the truck has been at its last few stops!

Checking in with the horror fans of Wichita, Kansas, the truck tour saw over 200 people show up, including a dedicated group of Umbrella cosplayers. Is it really safe to be carrying a T-Virus case around like that? Not to be outdone, plenty of fans showed off their tattoos and their love of the Resident Evil series, too. The PSVR Lantern demo, shown only on the tour and at a few events so far, earned plenty of scares, too, as players tried to evade the clutches of Marguerite Baker, one of the residents of the mansion you’ll explore in Resident Evil 7 .

Days later in Des Moines, Iowa, over 130 people turned out to check out the tour, including our 20th Anniversary challenges for the series’ modern hits, Resident Evil 4, 5 , and 6. We even had a number of soldiers who were eager to see what PSVR had to offer. Just like with many of the truck tour’s stops, those who pre-ordered Resident Evil 7 also got some exclusive bonus gifts!

Since leaving San Francisco, the truck has also been through Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Richfield, Minnesota, and will soon be making a number of stops throughout the East coast, bringing RE7 PSVR demos and exclusive 20th Anniversary merchandise with it. Want to know where the truck is headed next and see if it will be coming to a city near you? Check out the official tour site for the latest list of stops, and follow the Resident Evil Facebook page to show your interest and check in for events near you!

If you can’t make it out to the tour, don’t forget that Resident Evil 7 biohazard will be fully playable with the included optional PlayStation VR mode when it launches on January 24th, 2017. You can also check out the intense “Kitchen” demo, available now on the PlayStation VR demo disc in North America.