quote www.sammystudios.com

CARLSBAD, Calif.- March 3, 2004- Sammy Studios Inc., a developer, publisher and global distributor of interactive entertainment content, today announced that the sequel in the critically acclaimed Guilty Gear fighting series is coming to Sony PlayStation®2. Developed by Arc System Works and due out in the fourth quarter of 2004, Guilty Gear Isuka promises to raise the bar on the 2D fighting game genre, one arguably set by its own predecessor Guilty Gear X2. The 2003 PlayStation®2 game Guilty Gear X2 has become one of the highest rated 2D fighters of all time, based on game review scores aggregated by GameRankings.com. Guilty Gear Isuka delivers the same trademarks that made the prequel a hit, such as superb character design, high-resolution 2D graphics and lightening-fast gameplay, while introducing new characters, new arenas and a number of franchise firsts. This game is not yet rated.

"Guilty Gear is currently at the forefront of 2D fighters, propelled in part by hardcore fighter fans who recognize it as an evolution of the genre," said Tim Pivnicny, senior VP of Sammy Studios, Inc. "In Guilty Gear Isuka we want to satisfy existing fighter fans with new content and never-before-seen innovations. We also want to reach out to mainstream fans to show them that, right now, the envelope in fighting games is also being pushed in two dimensions."

In addition to new characters and content, Guilty Gear Isuka introduces 4-player, letting players brawl in 2-on-2 fighting or play 4-player co-op against computer A.I. The new title will also introduce a new mode for character customization, allowing players to earn points to buy new moves and combos for their characters as well as change their appearance. Guilty Gear Isuka adds 3 new playable fighters for a total of 23 characters, bolstering what is recognized as one of the most unique rosters of any fighting series. Additional features and improvements to the sequel include a side-scrolling Action Game Mode, all-new arenas and a refined Survival Mode. Returning are the series' standout trademarks, including its tremendous attention to detail in its combat system, character design, character animation and background graphics.

Guilty Gear Isuka also delves deeper into the unique Guilty Gear universe. The series is set in a skewed world where science and technology are deemed the source of conflict and are outlawed. Soon however a new reason for discord arises with the discovery of a new form of energy, one ultimately applied to create horrible new weapons called "Gears." These devastatingly powerful soldiers, made by fusing human and animal DNA, declare war on mankind. What ensues is a hundred year war, and the birth of a fighting tournament designed to find humans skilled enough to thwart the Gear threat. Guilty Gear's engaging premise and characters are the work of Daisuke Ishiwatari.

quote UNCONKABLE

Here is some of the GG Isuka info from the newest Feb. Issue of Arcadia(with GG Isuka Sol on the front)and there may be some errors because my reading ability is in the negatives:

gg isuka changes from #reload:

-dust, sweep, and air dust are S and HS at the same time

-burst is now done by pressing 4 buttons at the same time, can also be done while you are in stagger now.

-instant kills, taunts, and respects are now gone

-faultless defense is done with K+S at the same time, S+HS will not give it to you anymore.

-(not sure about this one), but air faultless defense cannot guard against opponents moves from the ground. example would be if sol does standing kick on a johnny that jumps in with faultless defense, I believe the Johnny player gets hit.

-if your character is facing the wrong way and you press back to block, you won't block, but instead walk the opposite way.

-the negative edge has now changed. before you used to only lose all of your tension, but now you also get your guard meter maxxed out. The conditions of getting this penalty are not moving, not attacking, running away from your opponent often, or keep going to a line of play where nobody is fighting(example is if it is a free for all of 4 players, and everybody is in the front line, but you stay chilling in the back line, then when they come there, you move back to the front line). Another thing is that if you backstep, that doesn't count toward your negative edge.

-(not sure) when you get hit in the air when facing the wrong way, you can't turn around( and eat the full combo).

-(have no idea) when you are knocked flying though the air, the character can go through you?
---------------------------

in two vs one, points to remember:
the single player:
-the single player's bursts are always gold?

-tension guage and tension balance get maxed, after it starts?

-the damage the single player deals is 1.1 of normal damage.
the two player team:
-after it begins, their burst guages go to zero

-doing damage to your teammate or opponent when doing (can't read the kanji) does only 1/4th of the normal damage?

-the damage the team does to the single player is reduced to 0.9 of normal daamge.

quote metalman_zero

i dont know now that i really think about it. All those Changes sounds a little...unlikely. I can understand a few control changes to accommodate the system but that seems more like a overhaul dont you guys think? Will sammy actually take all those things out of the game?

quote www.Gamerankings.com

Up to four players can now fight simultaneously in the game, each selecting a different character or selecting the same character using four included color patterns. To make the four player thing work, Sammy has added a new "Turn" button to the game, which you use to turn your character around and face the direction of your choice. The turn button can also be used in conjunction with the kick button to strike at an opponent who's sneaking up behind you.

Fighting now takes place on two planes: a foreground and a background. You're free to jump between the two planes by pressing Turn in conjunction with Heavy Slash. Pressing Turn with Punch will also move you between planes, but will make your character attack while moving. Turn with Kick is a bit sneakier -- using this combination will knock an opponent into a different line.

You're not just fighting against all three other players, though. In addition to a free-for-all mode that we got to try out, the game also has a team mode. In team mode, you and your partner share the same Soul Meter and can team up for super attacks.

The line-based four player fighting thing has been done before (remember Treasure's Yu Yu Hakusho for the Megadrive?), but never with a game as good looking as Guilty Gear. The Atomiswave board handles four high-resolution, highly-animated sprites along with the trademark effects the series is known for without a hitch. Admittedly, things do look a bit cluttered and, due to the more expansive use of scaling, a bit dirty, but when in the heart of a battle we're certain you won't mind too much.

It's also worth noting that in Japan, Guily Gear Isuka will be one of the first titles to feature Atomiswave AW-NET compatibility. This means that the game could feature national rankings, player data saving (using an AW-NET card) and possibly Online play. We're not sure if the AW-NET system will end up taking off in the arcades, but we can certainly hope for Online compatibility to come to a home version of Isuka.