SFIV Director Wants New Darkstalkers 'More Than Anything"

[Person Man]

The man behind Street Fighter IV doubts that Capcom would want him to work on a Hyper Street Fighter IV after iterative Super Street Fighter IV hits stores this year. Instead Yoshinori Ono has something else in mind: Darkstalkers.

Asked what his next dream project would be during an interview last week, Ono first joked that it would be taking his wife of ten years to Disneyland.

There was, Ono told us, another fighting game series established shortly after he started at Capcom, a "little something called Darkstalkers you might know about."

"If I was given the resources and the permission to do so, I would love to make a new Darkstalkers more than anything," Ono said.

Because of the unique art style and transformations of characters the game would most likely need its own engine, but the art style, he said, would most likely mimic the visual style of Street Fighter IV.

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Yes please.

[Iced]

Lovely.

[Xinos]

Do want.

[videoman]

OK but No Cut Characters from 3 and it is not a prequel and it's going to be rated M it has gore!

[Jmorphman]

OK but No Cut Characters from 3 and it is not a prequel and it's going to be rated M it has gore!

I think Darkstalkers works as a T game (cartoony violence and blood). There's no need to make it Mortal Kombat.

[videoman]

You are right it doesn't need it but it does have gore in the past games not like MK but more like SS!

[felineki]

the art style, he said, would most likely mimic the visual style of Street Fighter IV.

Ewww. And even without looking SF4ish, Darkstalkers just wouldn't work in 3D.

[Thedge]

People used to say the same about Street Fighter.

[JustNoPoint]

If they go the SF4 ish direction they need to horror it up more IMO

I am torn between wanting a really anime looking cartooney/dark game or a straight up dark gloomy horror game.

But as long as they choose either extreme with the looks I can see it working well.
Stateside the horror version would probably sell better. There are enough anime looking games on the market and it might visually get lost in them unless they do something really unique.

But I worry about it considering how they did SF4. Hopefully they would keep the game aggressive and NOT put the SF4 shortcut commands in!!!

[Mgbenz]

the art style, he said, would most likely mimic the visual style of Street Fighter IV.

Ewww. And even without looking SF4ish, Darkstalkers just wouldn't work in 3D.

Art style is not synonymous to game engine you know. The first words on that sentence specifically says it will be on a different engine entirely. We still don't know if it will be 2d or 3d at this point.

If they go the SF4 ish direction they need to horror it up more IMO

I am torn between wanting a really anime looking cartooney/dark game or a straight up dark gloomy horror game.

But as long as they choose either extreme with the looks I can see it working well.
Stateside the horror version would probably sell better. There are enough anime looking games on the market and it might visually get lost in them unless they do something really unique.

Darkstalkers has always been about comical anime style with it's characters and numerous animations. That's what people love with the game in the first place. It would seriously be a really bad step if they changed it and make it something like Borghi's The Blackheart. I myself would completely be against that idea.

[felineki]

Darkstalkers, far more than Street Fighter, is based around principles unique to 2D animation. The games are full of animations that would likely be awkward if recreated in 3D, that is if it can even possibly/feasibly be done.

JNP: The cartooniness is what made Darsktalkers unique. And the likelihood of difficulty in replicating that in 3D is what has me worried that they're going to throw it away and lose the fun spirit the originals had.

[Bastard Mami]

something like the tatsucap engine, probably ?

[videoman]

Almost forgot no CRAPPY ENGLISH CVs!

[MDI]

I'm one of those people that hated SFIV being 3D, but I have to admit that a 3D Darkstalkers wouldn't be awful.

Mainly because when it came to the Street Fighter series, I knew that a 3D game wouldn't look too hot compared to Third Strike, which I still say has some of the finest graphic style and animation for a "classic" resolution fighter. (In my opinion at least.)

However, Darkstalkers..as much as I love the series, isn't known for having amazing graphics or animation. A move to 3D could be a GOOD thing.

I just hope that if it does happen they don't go the SFIV route and have like what...only 5 or so new characters?

Thankfully though Darkstalkers doesn't have as much of a OMG DUN CHANGE ANYTHING PLZZ fanbase as the Street Fighter II crowd, so that might not be a problem.

[Nero D.]

CEL SHADE that shit

[felineki]

MDI: You need to look at the animation in Darkstalkers in terms of something other than frame count. In terms of bizarre creativity, humor, and energy, it's really something.

[Mgbenz]

I'm one of those people that hated SFIV being 3D, but I have to admit that a 3D Darkstalkers wouldn't be awful.

Mainly because when it came to the Street Fighter series, I knew that a 3D game wouldn't look too hot compared to Third Strike, which I still say has some of the finest graphic style and animation for a "classic" resolution fighter. (In my opinion at least.)

However, Darkstalkers..as much as I love the series, isn't known for having amazing graphics or animation. A move to 3D could be a GOOD thing.

I just hope that if it does happen they don't go the SFIV route and have like what...only 5 or so new characters?

Thankfully though Darkstalkers doesn't have as much of a OMG DUN CHANGE ANYTHING PLZZ fanbase as the Street Fighter II crowd, so that might not be a problem.

Darkstalkers is best known for it's unique attack and gethit animations like electrocution, burn, Anakaris's curse, Midnight Bliss, Jedah's blood pumping, Bishamon's seppuku, etc.

[Shaggy]

Cel shading would look sweet.  It would help keep the bright anime style well.  Just look at morrigan from TvC. (:

[MDI]

MDI: You need to look at the animation in Darkstalkers in terms of something other than frame count. In terms of bizarre creativity, humor, and energy, it's really something.

I know, I agree with you and MGbenz, but just think.. Street Fighter IV had a lot of "cartoony" features such as the facial expressions when hit and etc. I think that Darkstalkers would translate much better then say Street Fighter where that type of thing isn't as common.

Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE Darkstalkers 4 to be in 2D..but I'm just saying that seeing all the insane animations and such in 3D would also be awesome.

[YagamiC4]

Thought I would offer my two cents on the 2d to 3d topic:

To be honest I would have never expected a game like Street Fighter to be good in 3d.  The way capcom handled the transition however was perfect.  The transition was very elegantly done in my opinion, yes the graphics are 3d, but any way you look at it, the game remains a 2d game in terms of game play and mechanics.  The art style also works for me because while some of the get hits might look "cartoony" to some, the fact of the matter is 3d offers a level of detail (in terms of facial expressions and such) that is just unattainable in 2d.  Besides the beautiful execution of those details, the most important thing that sold me on SF4's art style is the fact that all of our favorite Street Fighter's look unmistakably like themselves.  Something which I can imagine would have been pretty easy to royally fuck up.

Having said all that, I have an equally hard time imagining Darkstalkers in 3d as I did Street Fighter.  Which can only mean good things because capcom has already shocked me once.  If they go through with this I'm sure it will be masterfully executed.